After Asakura was choked out by Alexandre Pantoja in his immediate title shot on debut last December, the Japanese star was looking to begin his path back to the 125-pound gold by notching a first UFC win that many were expecting for him on August 16.

Joseph Morales washed out of the UFC after three fights in 2018, then took nearly three years off before rebuilding his career with four straight wins and a berth in The Ultimate Fighter’s season 33 flyweight title fight.

UFC 319 fighter Kai Asakura spoke to MMA Junkie and reporters at media day for his main card bout vs. Tim Elliott on Saturday in Chicago.

Last weekend, the biggest fight of the year took place between champion Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev who met five rounds for the middleweight title. Chimaev ultimately dominated du Plessis to a unanimous decision victory, taking home the championship on Saturday night.

Prediction, pick and betting odds for the UFC 319 main card flyweight matchup between Tim Elliott and Kai Asakura

Find out if three record-breaking performances were enough to lift an otherwise mundane UFC 319 card to the top half of the grading curve.