Two former title challengers, Tim Elliott and Kai Asakura, are slated to compete in the octagon when the Ultimate Fighting Championship makes its return to Chicago on August 16. Both athletes confirmed the matchup via social media announcements.
The event, UFC 319, will be held at the United Center and is expected to feature a middleweight championship bout in the main event, with current champion Dricus Du Plessis defending his title against undefeated contender Khamzat Chimaev.
Tim Elliott, holding a professional record of 23-13-1, is scheduled to make his return following a 20-month period away from active competition when he steps in to face Asakura. The winner of season 24 of The Ultimate Fighter reality show last competed in December 2023, securing a submission victory over Sumudaerji in Las Vegas.
The 38-year-old seasoned fighter, who previously challenged Demetrious Johnson for the UFC flyweight title after winning TUF in 2016, has been successful in five of his last seven outings inside the octagon. Across both his tenures with the UFC promotion, he holds an overall record of 9 wins and 11 losses.
Kai Asakura, with a record of 21-5, is looking to bounce back following a second-round submission defeat to the reigning 125-pound champion, Alexandre Pantoja, in his recent UFC appearance.
The prominent Japanese fighter transitioned to the UFC after achieving two reigns as the RIZIN bantamweight titleholder. During his impressive 13-3 run in RIZIN between 2017 and 2023, Asakura notably defeated fighters like Kyoji Horiguchi, Manel Kape, and Juan Archuleta.
