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Kai Asakura

Japanese UFC bantamweight star Kai Asakura reacted after viciously knocking out Cameron Smotherman at UFC Macau.

Asakura entered UFC Macau with a 0-2 UFC record, so he badly needed this win to keep his roster spot with the world’s leading MMA organization. He did just that, and more, as he brutally flatlined Smotherman in the first round, finishing his foe in just 1:50 with a nasty punch. He also earned a $100,000 Performance of the Night bonus for his first UFC victory.

The win improves Asakura’s UFC record to 1-2, including a 1-0 mark in the bantamweight division after he lost his first two fights at flyweights. Based on how well he performed here against Smotherman, it seems clear he will stick around at 135 lbs going forward.

Kai Asakura Reacts After Cameron Smotherman KO at UFC Macau

Taking to his social media after the fight, Asakura reacted to his viral KO win over Smotherman, his first UFC victory.

“Thank you everyone!” wrote Asakura on his Instagram.

When the UFC signed Asakura two years ago, he entered the Octagon as the next great hope to become the promotion’s first-ever Japanese champion. The UFC matchmakers were so high on Asakura that they gave him an immediate flyweight title shot against Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 310 in December 2014, plus a headline spot on a pay-per-view card.

But he lost that fight by submission in the second round, and he didn’t particularly look good in the bout, though there’s no shame in losing to an elite fighter like Pantoja.

The UFC then attempted to give Askaura a more winnable fight against aging veteran Tim Elliott at UFC 319 in August 2025. But, despite entering that fight as the betting favorite, Asakura was finished by submission in the second round, dropping to 0-2 in the UFC in the process. That prompted him to make a major career change and move up to bantamweight. Based on this fantastic performance against Smotherman, it’s fair to say he will stick around at 135 lbs going forward.

What’s Next for Kai Asakura?

Beating Smotherman, an unranked fighter, won’t get Asakura into the UFC top-15 bantamweight rankings, but it could potentially land him a fight against someone who is ranked.

Looking at the rankings right now, a potential fight that makes sense is Asakura against the No. 14-ranked veteran Raoni Barcelos, who has won five fights in a row. Barcelos has become a prospect killer of sorts, so it would be interesting to see how he would perform against someone as talented as Asakura is, particularly since he isn’t cutting gobs of weight to cut down to 125 lbs anymore.

Another interesting matchup would be Asakura taking on the No. 10-ranked fan favorite Marlon Vera, who has lost four straight fights. Vera is known for being one of the most durable fighters in the sport, having never been knocked out in his entire 36-fight MMA career. It would definitely be intriguing for fans to see if Asakura could become the first man to stop Vera with strikes.

Beating Smotherman in the impressive fashion that Asakura did is massive for his UFC career, and it will be very interesting to see who the UFC matchmakers book him against next time out.