UFC Shanghai: Kai Asakura Aims for Second Win in New Weight Class
Listen to the story
Japanese mixed martial arts fighter Kai Asakura will compete at a UFC event in Shanghai on August 29. He is trying to win his second fight in a row.
Asakura recently moved to the bantamweight division, a weight class for lighter fighters. He said this class feels like his best fit.
This upcoming bout will be his fourth fight in the UFC. In his most recent fight, he earned his first UFC win, and now he hopes to build on that success.
At the pre-fight face-off, where fighters stand close together to build excitement, his opponent tried to provoke him with taunts. Asakura did not react and instead gave a calm, confident smile.
Asakura said he wants to win the fight with a clear knockout this time. He commented, "Tomorrow, I will make sure to get a KO."
Fellow Japanese fighter Rei Tsuruya will also compete at the same event, called "Fight Night Shanghai."
Because the event takes place in China rather than Japan, this will be considered an away fight for Asakura, meaning he will be fighting without home crowd support.
Vocabulary10 words
- UFC
- a very big and famous company that organizes fighting sports events
- bantamweight division
- a group of fighters who compete at a similar, lighter body weight
- face-off
- the moment before a fight when two fighters stand close and stare at each other
- knockout
- winning a fight by making the other person unable to continue
- provoke
- to try to make someone angry or upset on purpose
- away fight
- a match held outside a fighter's home country
- opponent
- the person a fighter competes against
- compete
- to take part in a contest or sports event
- confident
- showing that you feel sure of yourself
- bout
- another word for a fight or match
Quiz
Answer key
1. A second win in a row after moving weight class 2. He stayed calm and smiled confidently 3. False
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Japanese mixed martial arts fighter Kai Asakura will compete at a UFC event in _____ on August 29.
Asakura recently moved to the _____ division, a weight class for lighter fighters.
This upcoming bout will be his _____ fight in the UFC.
In his most recent fight, he earned his first UFC _____, and now he hopes to build on that success.
At the pre-fight face-off, his opponent tried to _____ him with taunts.
Asakura did not react and instead gave a calm, _____ smile.
Asakura said he wants to win the fight with a clear _____ this time.
Fellow Japanese fighter _____ will also compete at the same event.
Because the event takes place in China rather than Japan, this will be considered an _____ fight for Asakura.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think fighters do a face-off before a match?
- How do you think staying calm under provocation helps a fighter mentally?
- What challenges might a fighter face when competing in another country?
- Why might changing weight class help or hurt a fighter's performance?