Kai Asakura claimed the vacant Rizin Fighting Federation bantamweight championship in emphatic fashion on Monday.
The 26-year-old Tri-Force Akasaka product defeated Hiromasa Ougikubo via technical knockout in the Rizin 23 headliner at Pia Arena MMA in Yokohama, Japan to capture the title that was vacated when previous champion Manel Kape signed with the UFC. Asakura (15-2) brought a halt to the contest 4:31 into the first round. It was the Japanese promotion’s second event in as many days after being shut down for nearly six months due to the coronavirus pandemic.