Kai Asakura vs Cameron Smotherman Prediction and Pick, UFC Fight Night Picks. Place a bet on this game at YouWager.lv..

Kai Asakura vs Cameron Smotherman Prediction – UFC Fight Night Picks

A fight between Kai Asakura and Cameron Smotherman in the bantamweight division is scheduled to take place on Saturday as part of the preliminary bouts for the UFC Macau event that features Song Yadong versus Deiveson Figueiredo.

After suffering back-to-back submission defeats, Kai Asakura was defeated by former champion Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 310 in December 2024 and then by Tim Elliott at UFC 319 in August 2025. Kai Asakura, who is currently ranked 21-6, will be competing at UFC Macau with the intention of breaking his two-fight losing skid. Now that he is moving back up to bantamweight, where he won the Rizin title in 2023, Asakura is eager to demonstrate his worth at 135 pounds, and he is going to face Cameron Smotherman in his bout this coming weekend.

After suffering consecutive defeats by unanimous decision to Serhiy Sidey in May 2025 and Ricky Simon in June 2025, Cameron Smotherman (12-6) will be competing in the UFC that will take place in Macau. These defeats came after he scored a decisive decision victory over Jake Hadley at UFC Fight Night in October 2024. He is now preparing for his fight against Kai Asakura, which will take place this coming weekend.

Kai Asakura is one of the most technically skilled strikers to come out of Japan. He holds a black belt in Zendo-kai Karate, as well as extensive training in Muay Thai and boxing, which makes it extremely difficult to read him on the feet. His hand speed is remarkable, and his ability to counter off the low kick with a right cross that is perfectly timed is a weapon that he has used throughout his career to finish off opponents.

Asakura was a Rizin bantamweight champion, and it is evident that the rigorous weight cuts down to flyweight took a physical toll on him. Moving back up to bantamweight is a vital issue in this situation. It is expected that his explosiveness, power, and cardiovascular endurance would return to their top levels if he competes at a weight class that is more natural.

Smotherman is now on a losing run of two fights and is carrying a considerable amount of mental baggage as a result of his horrific collapse during the UFC 324 weigh-ins earlier this year, which resulted in the cancellation of his bout entirely. When he returns to competition under those conditions, against a high-level opponent, he faces huge psychological hurdles that have the potential to damage his performance from the moment the bell rings.

Additionally, Asakura is a brilliant tactician who is able to modify his game plan in order to capitalize on whatever weaknesses his opponents may have. Smotherman’s record of 1-2 in the UFC demonstrates that he has not yet solved the puzzle of elite competition. Asakura should be a completely different animal on Saturday night because he is eager to establish himself after suffering two consecutive defeats in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and because he is fighting at his natural weight.

Although Cameron Smotherman is a resilient and tough-as-nails competitor, his explosive and unconventional fighting style has caused his opponents in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to face significant challenges throughout his career. Within the bantamweight division, he has a height and reach advantage over Asakura, who is 5 feet 9 inches tall. This physical advantage, in conjunction with his unpredictability, could be the determining factor in a battle that is extremely close.

Asakura comes into this bout with a record of 0-2 in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and the psychological load of those two consecutive defeats is extremely heavy. There is an apparent defensive grappling flaw that Smotherman might attack, as both of his defeats occurred by submission. The first one was to champion Pantoja via rear-naked choke at UFC 310, and the second one was to Tim Elliott at UFC 319.

By returning to competition after his horrifying collapse at the UFC 324 weigh-ins, Smotherman has demonstrated an incredible amount of heart. Fighters who battle through hardship such as that typically come back with a newfound intensity and focus on their fights. The kind of mental strength that is displayed in the cage is not something that can be found on a record, but it is something that is definitely present.

In the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Asakura’s striking accuracy is only 32%, which indicates that he has had difficulty translating his effectiveness in Rizin to the UFC level, where opponents are more skilled and disciplined. On the other hand, if Smotherman is able to maintain his discipline, avoid takedowns, and make this fight competitive on the feet, his unconventional pressure game has the potential to generate enough pandemonium to give him a decision victory or a late stoppage.

This is a bout that both men have a chance to win, but the narratives point in one direction that is very clear: Kai Asakura is a significantly more skilled fighter who merely needs to rediscover his best form at a weight class that is more natural. After suffering two devastating defeats at the flyweight division, Smotherman should be able to unlock a version of Asakura that he has never seen before if he moves up to the bantamweight division.

Smotherman’s unconventional approach to applying pressure will ensure that this fight remains competitive from the beginning, and his physical advantages in terms of height and reach will ensure that round one is a genuine competition. However, Asakura’s arsenal of technical strikes, his better experience, and the fact that he has a chip on his shoulder after suffering two consecutive defeats in the Ultimate Fighting Championship are all significant motivators that should take over as the fight develops.

It is reasonable to anticipate that Asakura will discover his rhythm in the latter rounds, landing more cleanly and accurately as Smotherman’s gas tank begins to deplete. Due to his experience and technological expertise, the Japanese veteran is the obvious choice in this situation.

Our Kai Asakura vs Cameron Smotherman Pick: Kai Asakura

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Kai Asakura vs Cameron Smotherman Prediction and Pick, UFC Fight Night Picks, by YouWager.lv.