Former UFC flyweight title contenders Tim Elliott and Kai Asakura are scheduled to clash in the Octagon. Both fighters announced the bout, which is set for August 16 in Chicago, marking the UFC`s return to the city.
The event, UFC 319, is slated to be held at the United Center. The main event is expected to be a middleweight championship bout between champion Dricus Du Plessis and the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev.
Elliott (23-13-1) will be ending a 20-month break from competition when he steps in to face Asakura. The winner of The Ultimate Fighter season 24 most recently competed in December 2023, securing a submission victory over Sumudaerji in Las Vegas.
The 38-year-old veteran previously challenged Demetrious Johnson for the UFC flyweight title following his TUF win in 2016. Across his two stints in the promotion, Elliott holds a combined Octagon record of 9-11 and has won five of his last seven appearances.
Asakura (21-5), who made his UFC debut in December 2023, will be aiming to bounce back from a second-round submission loss to the current 125-pound champion, Alexandre Pantoja.
The Japanese fighter joined the UFC as a two-time bantamweight champion in the RIZIN organization. During his RIZIN tenure from 2017 to 2023, where he compiled a 13-3 record, he secured significant victories over fighters like Kyoji Horiguchi, Manel Kape, and Juan Archuleta.
