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Who else thinks that the classic bad blood and culminating battle between Yoshihiro Akiyama and Shinya Aoki came straight from an action-packed anime movie? We do. The two Japanese MMA icons really put on a dramatic rivalry that lasted over 14 years and culminated in a heart-stopping bout at ONE X.
It was one of the most memorable moments of the already-massively memorable ONE X event. Akiyama had to fend off a scary submission attempt for most of the first round, only to come back and knock Aoki out in the second round.
ONE Championship released a recap/highlight video of the rivalry and ONE X clash:
"Who else would binge watch? 🤚 @akiyamachoo @shinya050983"
If this was an anime series, we'd definitely binge-watch it. Aoki has a very gruff, baritone, and almost broken voice that reminds us of the scariest anime villains. Akiyama, on the other hand, has the face, hair, and chiseled physique to pass as your favorite anime superhero.
Watch their full fight here:
Yoshihiro Akiyama plans to keep fighting in ONE Championship until he turns 50
After his marvelous comeback win at ONE X against rival Shinya Aoki, the ageless wonder Yoshihiro Akiyama plans to stay in the sport until the wheels come off.
The 46-year-old fighter sat down with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. One of the highlights of the interview was Akiyama's plan to continue to fight in ONE Championship until he turns 50 and retires.
Speaking through a translator, the Japanese fighter of Korean descent had this to say:
"I will definitely go until I'm 50. Yes, that is my current goal depending on my physical. So yeah, if you calculate, twice a year and I have four years left in me, so that's more than eight [fights]."
When asked if he was interested in facing any particular fighter next, here's what Yoshihiro Akiyama had to say:
"Yes, so 170 and the other weight [185] as well, considering. I want to fight the champion. I'm not there yet, but I want to keep on fighting so I can challenge."
Imagine if Akiyama wins the ONE Championship belt and then retires. That would skyrocket his already iconic status to heights none of his ageless peers have ever reached.
Watch the full interview here:
