Kai Asakura targets back-to-back UFC wins against Qileng Aori at Shanghai on Aug. 29

Kai Asakura will look to string together consecutive UFC victories for the first time when he meets Qileng Aori at UFC Shanghai on August 29. The matchup, confirmed on July 14, pits the former Rizin Fighting Federation champion against a Chinese bantamweight who knows the promotion well.

Asakura’s road to this point has been anything but smooth. After a decorated run in Rizin, the Japanese fighter dropped back-to-back bouts at flyweight following his UFC debut — submitted by former champion Alexandre Pantoja and then by Tim Elliott at 125 pounds. The move up to bantamweight proved the turning point. In May, Asakura knocked out Cameron Smotherman at UFC Macau, his 17th finish across 22 career wins, to finally get off the mark in the promotion.

His opponent carries a more mixed record at this level. Aori enters the fight with a 4-5-1 UFC record and has managed just two wins in his last six outings. The 33-year-old is coming off a TKO defeat to Cody Haddon in May, meaning both men arrive in Shanghai having last competed on the same card.

The Asakura-Aori contest is one of several bantamweight bouts confirmed for the Shanghai card. The Fight Night headliner features Umar Nurmagomedov against Yadong Song. A strong Chinese contingent rounds out the bill, with former title challenger Xiaonan Yan, veteran flyweight Su Mudaerji, and UFC newcomer Ce Liu all confirmed to compete.