UFC bantamweight contender Kai Asakura shared his reaction following a brutal knockout win over Aoriqileng at UFC Shanghai.
Japan’s Asakura nailed Chinese native Aoriqileng with a head kick, which rocked him. Asakura then followed up with punches to drop his opponent to the mat and then finished him with vicious knees to the body to stop him violently.
Kai Asakura Reacts to KO Win
Taking to his social media following UFC Shanghai, Asakura shared his reaction to finishing Aoriqileng in the second round with a highlight-reel stoppage.
“Won by KO! Thank you for your support!” Asakura wrote on his Instagram.
What’s Next for Kai Asakura?
This was a huge win for Asakura, who has now wont two straight fights by knockout after losing his first two fights in the UFC.
When Asakura was signed out of RIZIN, he was expected to immediately become a title contender in the UFC flyweight division, and the matchmakers actually gave him an immediate title shot against then-UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja.
However, Pantoja showed why he was the best in the weight classs at the time when he submitted Asakura with a rear-naked choke in the second round of the UFC 310 main event.
Asakura then returned to the Octagon in August 2025 at UFC 319, but once again he lost as he was submitted by Tim Elliott in the second round with a tight guillotine choke in what was a big upset.
At that point, Asakura decided that he needed to move up to the UFC bantamweight division as he was tired of cutting so much weight to get down to 125 lbs.
Since moving up to 135 lbs, the results have been outstanding for Asakura, as he is 2-0 with knockout wins over Cameron Smotherman and now Aoriqileng.
Given he is a huge name in the sport, and especially in Japan, a country where the UFC is trying to make inroads, look for the matchmakers to give him a big push and likely match him up against someone who is in the top 15 for his next fight, as Asakura looks to become a UFC champion, only at bantamweight.
Kai Asakura Reacts After Brutal KO Victory at UFC Shanghai