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Former ONE lightweight world champion and Japanese MMA legend Shinya Aoki might be the closest real-life equivalent of your favorite anime anti-hero. He has a stone-cold demeanor, a rough and haunting voice, and most importantly, an unshakable fighting spirit. 'Tobikan Judan' is a recluse genius who has a near-obsession with facing the toughest challenges possible. For this, he is loved by fans around the world.
Aoki, known as 'Grand Master of Flying Submissions', has been in the sport for close to two decades and has never backed down from a fight. The former ONE lightweight king's praises were sung a lot by ONE CEO and Chairman Chatri Sityodtong during ONE 163's press conference.
On Aoki's fighting mettle, Sityodtong said:
"I want to say that Shinya [Aoki] is one of the greatest fighters [to] ever come out from Japan. Truly a legend. And one thing I know about Shinya, I think I know him almost 15 years. And he’s a fighter who never says no to any fights. He accepts all opponents."
As previously stated, Aoki has been in the sport for nearly 20 years. He's been around numerous organizations showcasing his grappling prowess in MMA. Though his record is far from perfect, Aoki singlehandedly put Japanese MMA on the map through his sheer grit to face the very best in the world.
Shinya Aoki faces Saygid Izagakhmaev at ONE 163 in front of his hometown crowd
Shinya Aoki will compete in his 59th MMA fight at ONE 163 in front of his home crowd in Japan. Against him will be Dagestani mauler and Khabib Nurmagomedov's protege, Saygid Izagakhmaev. The card will feature some of the best Japanese fighters in the world, including Yuya Wakamatsu, Itsuki Hirata, Yushin Okami, and ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion Hiroki Akimoto.
This is an intriguing bout as Aoki has been known to give young up-and-comers like Izagakhmaev more than they can handle. The high-profile Dagestani wrestler is hell-bent on making a statement in the ONE lightweight division after debuting in the promotion earlier this year.
In his promotional debut, Saygid Izagakhmaev called out a few fighters on the roster and Shinya Aoki was one of his targeted opponents. Aoki, never backing down from anyone, accepted the bout to face the surging Russian wrestler. It would be interesting to see how Aoki's inventive and dynamic submission meshes with his younger opponent's overwhelming Dagestani style of MMA wrestling.
