The answer to the question, “How many people have fought for a UFC title in their promotional debut?” is not as straightforward as it may seem. Former RIZIN FF champion Kai Asakura has created intrigue into the topic as he readies for a chance to challenge Alexandre Pantoja for the UFC flyweight title in his first octagon appearance Saturday at UFC 310, which takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN2, Hulu, ESPN+ ). By the broadest of definitions, Asakura will be the 24th fighter to make a UFC debut in a championship setting. However, not all title-fight debuts are structured under the same degree of integrity. Asakura is fighting an established champ with multiple defenses already under his belt in a division that is legitimately filled out on the UFC roster, and that is a rare circumstance. To start, it should be noted a solid crop of the previous 23 names debuted between 1997 and 2001 when divisions either didn’t have champions established yet or were in their infancy
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Kai Asakura and the complex history of UFC debut title shots – MMA Junkie