“I couldn’t do this — a short span to another fight — at flyweight,” acknowledged Asakura, who has earned stoppages in 17 of his 22 career wins. “I usually do the short span, a lot of fights in previous organizations (when I’m) without injuries.”
Asakura is eager to keep up the busy schedule, aiming to fight every three to four months. In order to queue up his next hasty return, he first needs to deal with Aoriqileng this weekend.
WATCH: Kai Asakura: ‘I Am Stronger Than My Last Fight’
The 33-year-old veteran made the same move from flyweight to bantamweight following the decision losses to Jeff Molina and Cody Durden in the first two fights of his UFC tenure. Since then, he’s posted a 4-3 record with one no contest, flashing power and toughness in wins over Cameron Else, Johnny Munoz Jr. and Cody Gibson.
From Asakura’s perspective, he sees a lot of similarities between Aoriqileng and Smotherman, which has him not only eager to return to action on Saturday, but looking to make a bold statement with his performance as well.