Kai Asakura will move back up to bantamweight to face Cameron Smotherman at UFC Fight Night 277 on May 30 in Macau, China.
Fight details
The fight is part of UFC Fight Night 277 in Macau. Asakura, 32, returns to 135 pounds after competing at flyweight in the UFC. Smotherman, 28, will make his second bantamweight appearance in the promotion.
Asakura’s recent run
Kai Asakura is a former Rizin bantamweight champion. When he joined the UFC in late 2024 he was given an immediate shot at the flyweight title against Alexandre Pantoja. He lost that fight by submission.
Asakura then fought Tim Elliott in his only outing last year and was submitted again. This matchup with Smotherman will be his first 135 lb fight in the UFC.
Smotherman’s recent run
Cameron Smotherman joined the UFC in 2024. He won his promotional debut by unanimous decision over Jake Hadley. Since then he has lost two straight decisions, to Serhiy Sidey and to Ricky Simon.
| Fighter | Recent Result |
|---|---|
| Kai Asakura | Submitted by Tim Elliott (most recent); previously submitted by Alexandre Pantoja |
| Cameron Smotherman | Lost decisions to Serhiy Sidey and Ricky Simon; debut win over Jake Hadley |
Card and what to watch
This fight joins a strong UFC Fight Night 277 card. The event will be headlined by a bantamweight bout between Song Yadong and former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo. Other confirmed fights include Zhing Mingyang vs. Alonzo Menifield and Sergei Pavlovich vs. Tallison Teixeira.
Asakura brings name recognition and knockout power from his time in Rizin. He will look to reset after back-to-back submission losses. Smotherman will try to get back on track and stop a two-fight losing streak. Both men have reasons to push hard at 135 pounds.
UFCcoverage will follow the build-up to the Macau card and provide updates as more bouts are announced.
