He is a former Fighting Network Rings 143-pound and 154-pound champion. Along with his mixed martial arts career, he is also a popular YouTuber in Japan.[3]
Mikuru started his interest in martial arts training karate in elementary school, however he also played volleyball for three years.[5]
Mikuru, along with his brother Kai Asakura, were involved in numerous street fights in their childhood, even fighting each other. As they got older, a therapist suggested to their mother to enroll them into boxing classes.[6]
While studying at the Aichi Prefectural Toyohashi Technical High School, the Asakura brothers went to Zen Dokai Toyohashi Dojo, where they were first introduced to mixed martial arts.[7][8]
Mixed martial arts career
Amateur career
Mikuru Asakura, as well as his brother Kai, fought their first amateur MMA fights under the Outsider brand of Fighting Network Rings. The Outsider brand was geared towards problematic youth, with focus on rehabilitating delinquents, criminals and gang members with MMA.[9] He would later fight professionally with Outsider.
After winning his first amateur bout, against Kohei Shimada, with a first round rear-naked choke, Asakura put together a 6-1 record with 5 stoppages, only losing to Takehiro Higuchi.
Early career
Mikuru Asakura began his professional career in 2012 under the DEEP promotion, where he faced a fellow debutante Kavinesh Raviendaran . Asakura won the bout via TKO within 53 seconds.[10] After a three-year hiatus, Mikuru returned to fight under the Outsider promotion, a spin off of the Fighting Network Rings promotion. He faced Keinosuke Yoshinaga, whom he defeated TKO in the first round to claim the Outsider 154 lbs Championship in just his 2nd professional bout at The Outsider 26.[11] Four months later in his very next bout at The Outsider 38, Asakura beat Takehiro Higuchi (the sole man to defeat him to that point) to claim the 143 lbs Championship.[12] Asakura would defend his 143-lb title 9 months later at The Outsider 42 against Hiroyuki Furuta before competing in ROAD FC. Under the banner off Road Fighting Championship at Road FC 37, Asakura fought Doo Seok Oh, who he beat by TKO in the first round.[13]
Asakura would suffer his first career loss in a surprising unanimous decision to journeyman Kil Woo Lee during Road FC 43.[14] However, he rebounded with a unanimous decision victory over Kosuke Terashima six months later at DEEP 83 Impact.[15]
Rizin Fighting Federation
Mikuru Asakura made his Rizin debut on 12 August 2018, during Rizin 12. Asakura faced former Shooto featherweight champion and Japanese MMA legend, Hatsu Hioki.[16] Mikuru won the fight in at 3:45 of the first round after knocking Hioki down with a head kick and following up with punches.[17]
Asakura next faced Karshyga Dautbek at Rizin 13.[18] Asakura employed an effective use of grappling and striking to outpoint the Kazakh fighter, and won a unanimous decision.[19]
During Rizin: Heisei's Last Yarennoka!, Mikuru Asakura fought another former Shooto Featherweight Champion - this time being Takeshi Inoue. Asakura finished the bout with a well-timed knee that floored the former champion.[20]
Mikuru Asakura's next fight was to be at Rizin 15 against Luiz Gustavo. He defeated Gustavo via unanimous decision.[21]
At his next bout at Rizin 17 against fellow Rizin standout, Yusuke Yachi - in his first main event for RIZIN.[22] Uniquely, this bout was prefaced with intensity and heated comments direct at one another, with both fighters saying that they couldn't stand one another. Yachi said that Asakura was afraid of him, while Mikuru told Yachi that he was not intelligent and that his YouTube content was 'crap'.[23] Asakura scored a knockdown with seconds left in the bout en route to a unanimous decision victory.[24]
After compiling a five-fight winning streak, Asakura was given a chance to represent Rizin against one of Bellator's fighters in the upcoming Rizin 20 event.[25] In a match against former TUF Brazil Team Wanderlei contestant, John Macapa, Asakura won a unanimous decision to hand the veteran just his 5th loss of his 30-fight career.[26]
At Rizin 21, Asakura faced TUF LA 2 Team Gastelum contestant, Daniel Salas as the main event.[27] At 2:34 of the second round, Asakura landed a head kick and followed up with punches to end the contest.[28]
Title shot
After going 7–0 in the promotion and increasing in popularity, Rizin set up a title match for the inaugural Featherweight title between Asakura and reigning Shooto Featherweight Champion, Yutaka Saito at Rizin 25 on November 21, 2020.[29] Asakura lost via unanimous decision in his 3rd main event bout.[30]
Despite having suffered his first loss, Asakura quickly turned around and fought at the annual NYE show at Rizin 26.[31] He faced Satoshi Yamasu, and won by TKO in the first round, after landing his patented head kick, and following up with punches.[32]
On June 13, 2022, Asakura announced he would be competing in a boxing exhibition bout against former world champion and boxing hall of famer, Floyd Mayweather. The fight would be at the Rizin event scheduled on September 25, 2022 at the Saitama Super Arena.[43] Asakura lost the bout by 2nd round TKO.[44]
Kickboxing career
Asakura made his professional kickboxing debut against YA-MAN at the inaugural "Fight Club" event. The fight was contested in open-finger gloves, under kickboxing rules and at the lightweight (-70 kg) limit.[45] He lost the fight by a first-round knockout.[46]
In other media
Asakura makes a cameo appearance as himself in the game Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth[47] He provides the voice in the Japanese language, while John Choi provides his English language voice.[48]
