Shinya Aoki Submits Eduard Folayang In Round One To Reclaim World Title
Japanese mixed martial arts icon Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki delivered another flawless performance to defeat Eduard “Landslide” Folayang by submission and reclaim the ONE Lightweight World Title.
On an epic night in Tokyo, Japan on Sunday, 31 March, the local hero’s first-round arm-triangle choke gave him the win in the main event of ONE: A NEW ERA.
The Japanese challenger seemed to be inspired by his home crowd at the iconic Ryogoku Kokugikan as he attacked the defending World Champion from the opening bell.
Somewhat surprisingly, Aoki came out striking and attempted two head kicks in quick succession in a bid to catch his Filipino rival off-guard.
However, Folayang easily evaded the strikes and started to work his counter punches and leg kicks as he attempted to shut down the Japanese grappler’s movement early on.
Just as it seemed as though the Team Lakay star was settling into his rhythm, Aoki charged in and initiated the sequence that eventually won him the bout – and the belt.
With Folayang standing with his back close to the cage, the Evolve grappler quickly closed the distance and established a body lock on the World Champion.
Aoki then maneuvered his man off the cage, expertly swept him to the canvas, and locked up an arm-triangle choke.
Despite Folayang’s valiant attempts to fend off the submission, Aoki adjusted on the ground for maximum pressure and put on the squeeze to eventually render “Landslide” unconscious at the 2:34 mark of the opening stanza.
It was a stunning way for Aoki to recapture the World Title that Folayang took from him in November 2016, as he reclaimed the belt on home soil.
The victory was Aoki’s fourth first-round finish in a row, and it improved his overall record to 43-8 (1 NC).
After he was presented with the belt, “Tobikan Judan” addressed his fans and vowed to represent them as the leading athlete in his division.
On the back of several short reigns in the last two years, Aoki will look to cement his position at the top of the weight class against the winner of the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix later this year.
