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#4. Shinya Aoki - ONE Championship lightweight
Former ONE Championship lightweight world champion Shinya 'Tobikan Judan' Aoki is a legend in the Japanese grappling scene. His eclectic grappling style, coupled with his insane flexibility and creative approach to submissions, earned him a unique spot in MMA lore.
Having fought in MMA for almost two decades now, Aoki has tallied 47 wins with 30 submissions. His wins in PRIDE, Shooto, DREAM, Strikeforce and ONE Championship earned him the monicker 'Master of Flying Submissions'.
Once he gets a hold of his opponents, Aoki uses various disciplines ranging from jiu-jitsu, judo, shoot wrestling and Eddie Bravo's 10th Planet Jiu-jitsu techniques. His utilization of the rubber guard and penchant for rare submissions like the gogoplata and hammerlock make Aoki an unpredictable grappler after all these years.
Watch Aoki's top 5 submissions in ONE Championship here:
#3. Andre Galvao - ONE Championship lightweight/welterweight
Fourth-degree blackbelt Andre Galvao is a 5-time IBJJF world champion and a 6-time ADCC world champion, having won its coveted Superfight multiple years in a row.
To say that Galvao is one of the best grapplers ever is a horrid understatement. The man is a legend amongst legends. The 39 year-old's frenetic and powerful takedown and passing game showed how competitive jiu-jitsu can be exciting to watch.
In MMA, the ATOS Jiu-jitsu leader has a 5-2 record with three submissions and one knockout. Galvao's run in DREAM and Strikeforce showed his frightening ground-and-pound and evolving stand-up game.
Although he retired from MMA in 2011, Galvao's landmark signing with ONE Championship in 2021 heralds his return to the sport. At the moment, we don't know when the jiu-jitsu ace will debut in the Circle or which weight class he will be fighting.
Whenever or wherever it is, we're sure Galvao will be a force inside the cage.
Watch his MMA highlights in this YouTube video by user HelloJapan05:
