Former UFC flyweight title challengers Tim Elliott and Kai Asakura will meet in the octagon when UFC returns to Chicago on Aug 16, both athletes announced on social media.
UFC 319 will take place at the United Center and feature 185-pound champion Dricus Du Plessis defending his middleweight belt in the main event against undefeated force Khamzat Chimaev.
Eliott (23-13-1) will be returning from a 20-month layoff when he faces Asakura. The Ultimate Fighter season 24 winner won his last bout in December 2023, when he tapped out Sumudaerji in Las Vegas.
The 38-year-old veteran, who challenged Demetrious Johnson for UFC gold after winning TUF in 2016, was victorious in five of his past seven octagon appearances with a 9-11 octagon record with both UFC stints combined.
Asakura (21-5) came up short in his promotional debut in December 2024, now looking to rebound from a second-round submission defeat to reigning 125-pound champion Alexandre Pantoja.
The Japanese star went over to the UFC as a two-time RIZIN bantamweight titleholder, having beat the likes of Kyoji Horiguchi, Manel Kape and Juan Archuleta during a 13-3 career in RIZIN between 2017 and 2023.
