Luffy-Ace in Real Life? Japanese Fighter Kai Asakura’s Rise in MMA Sounds Like a Story From an Anime

SUMMARY

The MMA world was surprised with the explosive power of Kai Asakura, knocking out everyone stepping foot in the ring opposite to him.
Kai Asakura explains how his brother, Mikuru Asakura, took an unconventional way of introducing him to MMA.
The Asakura brothers’ bond made the otakus call them the real-life Ace-Luffy.

In the MMA ring, a number of fighters have stepped in and left a lasting mark, but only a few names have resonated with a story that has made the community feel moved by their origin stories. One such name happens to be Kai Asakura, the 31-year-old who has etched a lasting legacy in the MMA world with his mesmerizing performances, explosive striking ability, and razor-sharp instincts.

Kai Asakura. Credits: UFC

Asakura’s fights were not just about him taking down his opponents with his raw power and technical brilliance, but they were about giving moments that fans can’t forget. While it is true that he’s an unforgettable fighter who is charismatic on a global level, his entry into the sport with his brother’s help is nothing short of iconic, giving fans the Luffy-Ace connection.

Kai Asakura’s Fighting Instincts Were Brought Out By His Brother

After becoming a global sensation by displaying his raw power and technical brilliance and being sheerly unpredictable to his opponents, knocking them out, Kai Asakura’s name has become popular among the streets, making him a global sensation.

Kai Asakura with the Rizin belt. Credits: Instagram

Fans are in awe of his striking game, where each hit is precise, intense, and ferocious, resulting in a stunning record of 21-4-0, 13 coming via knockouts, 3 by submissions, and 5 times by decision. Thus, fans call him the man with an infinite aura.

He has set an incredible record for himself, and he will be headlining UFC 310 against Alexandre Pantoja. However, his talents were brought out by his brother, who used to fight in the streets every day, running into an interesting problem. Kai Asakura told via  UFC,

The story of how I got into MMA is quite crazy. My older brother was fighting in the street every day. He beat everyone and there was no one left to fight.

He further added how his brother called him “into the street in the middle of the night” and gave him some boxing gloves to wear.

A still from Asakura’s fight in the Rizin Fighting Federation. Credits: MMA Freaks (YouTube)

However, it was different because each strike was lethal, and his brother was going all in for the kill with “each strike.”

So one day, my older brother called me into the street in the middle of the night. Suddenly he gave me some boxing gloves to wear. He was really trying to kill me with each strike. I was able to dodge everything. It was the first time I ever had a real fight.

The MMA fighter emphasized how it was during this encounter with his brother “when I realized I had serious potential as a fighter.”

Thus he kept wearing the gloves, trained harder, and became a champion in the Rizin Fighting Federation, later vacating the belt and heading to the UFC.

Otaku Fans Draw Parallels With One Piece, Calling Asakura Brothers, The Real-Life Ace-Luffy

Kai Asakura’s intriguing anecdote about his introduction to street fights, giving him a sense of direction in life, was quite well-received among the fans. The otakus immediately thought how the Asakura brothers were quite similar to the bond shared between Portgas D. Ace and Monkey D. Luffy in  Eiichiro Oda’s  One Piece.

Portgas D. Ace. Credits: Toei Animation

Just like Asakura’s older brother, Ace was strong and a force of nature, radiating the noble traits of loyalty and ambition, leaving a profound mark on Luffy. Ever since the two were young, the Straw Hat looked up to Fire Fist Ace as his idol and would follow him into all of his quests.

Thus, when Luffy first heard how his older brother would become a pirate just like him, he became his guiding light. The young boy would look at Ace, who made him believe that there is no greater joy than being the freest man in the world.

Ace and Luffy. Credits: Toei Animation

As a result, when an influencer covered Asakura’s phenomenal journey in a reel on his Instagram and called it “Real life anime sh*t.” He was not wrong because, just like Ace, his older brother, Mikuru Asakura taught that greatness is not given but is earned through courage and relentless effort.

One Piece can be streamed on Netflix.