“I did not sustain any major injuries” - Shinya Aoki assures supporters he’s fine following loss to ‘Sexyama’

Shinya Aoki took a massive beating at the hands of fierce rival Yoshihiro Akiyama this past weekend. However, he's confirmed that he’s physically fine following his loss at ONE X.

Aoki absorbed a multitude of punches from Akiyama in the second round of their lightweight fight inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium. The barrage prompted referee Mohamad Sulaiman to end the contest 1:50 into the second round.

Posting his insights to Japanese media delivery site note.com, Aoki said he didn’t incur any major injuries and assured his supporters that there is nothing to worry about.

Shinya Aoki wrote:

“I did not sustain any major injuries. I’m sorry to worry you. I am grateful to all of you, thank you very much.”

Akiyama and Aoki expressed their hatred towards each other months before their fight at ONE X. Both men were keen on delivering as much pain as possible when the doors of the circle closed.

Aoki was the first to shoot for the offense when he got ‘Sexyama’s back for nearly the entire first round. ‘Tobikan Judan’ cranked Akiyama’s face and attempted a standing rear-naked choke only for the round to end without the desired submission.

It was in the second round that Akiyama clocked Aoki with a well-placed straight before pinning his rival to the mat and landing stiff punches from above.

Admitting his disappointment, Aoki said:

“I was not able to get the outcome I wanted, but I don’t regret it. Thank you to everyone, because of you I was able to endure until the end of the match.”

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Shinya Aoki’s feud with Akiyama comes to an end

Shinya Aoki has had a silent dislike for Akiyama that has stretched as far back as the previous decade. The former ONE lightweight world champion has not appreciated the idea that 'Sexyama' seems to be using martial arts to live as a celebrity.

Things reached boiling point when in October 2021 when Aoki called out Akiyama for refusing to take a fight that was supposed to happen in September of that year. It wasn’t until the fight week of ONE X that the two got face-to-face during the ceremonial weigh-ins.

Despite their 14-year long animosity between them, Akiyama and Aoki were able shake hands after their lightweight bout at ONE X.

While Aoki sat against the cage wall pondering what happened, Akiyama was left to celebrate a victory that ended their lengthy feud.