![Shinya Aoki is ready for the next battle, be it in MMA or submission grappling. | [Photo: ONE Championship]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/05/63a25-16534522175871-1920.jpg)
![Shinya Aoki is ready for the next battle, be it in MMA or submission grappling. | [Photo: ONE Championship]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns%3Axlink='http%3A//www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20viewBox='0%200%2010%206.25'%3E%3Cfilter%20id='b'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20stdDeviation='.5'%3E%3C/feGaussianBlur%3E%3CfeComponentTransfer%3E%3CfeFuncA%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20type='discrete'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20tableValues='1%201'%3E%3C/feFuncA%3E%3C/feComponentTransfer%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20filter='url(%23b)'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Shinya Aoki is a martial arts legend who is always looking to stay active, and ONE Championship is already asking fans for their thoughts on who he should fight next.
‘Tobikan Judan’ is a former ONE lightweight world champion, but he is also a prolific grappler who has competed in grappling matches. In ONE 157, he welcomed teenage Brazilian jiu-jitsu prodigy Kade Ruotolo to ONE Championship in a submission grappling contest.
With his fight already in the books, it looks like he’s ready for the next one. As such, ONE Championship posted a clip on Twitter showing Aoki claiming that he will always take on any fight offered to him to get ideas from fans on potential matchups.
In the video, Shinya Aoki said:
“I want to do everything, be it grappling or MMA. I will never decline a fight offer. I will always accept new challenges. This is my style. So, I will do both MMA and grappling. I don’t care how many wins I have, whether it’s 47 or 50. I just want to stay motivated every single day and put on good performances.”
Check out the clip below:
What’s next for Shinya Aoki?
With submission grappling now one of the featured disciplines in ONE Championship, Shinya Aoki can choose to compete in two sports with plenty of tough competition to test his skills against.
Aoki is currently the No.3-ranked contender in the lightweight division and could certainly be the next challenger up once Ok Rae Yoon and Christian Lee settle their score.
Fans suggested having a third fight with Eddie Alvarez to settle their trilogy. The pair competed against each other in two other promotions, with Aoki getting a first-round submission win in their first match and Alvarez taking a first-round TKO in their next one.
However, with the growing talent in submission grappling, it’s exciting to know that Aoki is willing to showcase his talents in the division as well. He will certainly be eager to break through the win column in the division.
Aoki lost to Garry Tonon in the first submission grappling bout in ONE Championship’s history. At ONE 157, he absorbed another loss, this time to promotional newcomer Kade Ruotolo.
One thing that’s going to be certain is that wherever Shinya Aoki chooses to compete next, he will definitely produce another exciting fight.
