Meeting for the fourth time, former two-time ONE lightweight champ Shinya Aoki (48-11, 1NC) of Japan will take on the Philippines’ Eduard Folayang (23-13), himself a former two-time champ in the division.

Promotion officials announced the booking during the ONE Fight Night 27 broadcast on Friday, alongside a press release announcing the bout. ONE 172 takes place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on March 23, 2025.

Now 41 years young, Japan’s Aoki is ahead in the pair’s career series, having won their last two meetings via submission. Folayang, also 41, claimed victory in their first meeting in 2016, earning a TKO victory to claim lightweight gold. He would later lose the title to Martin Nguyen, win it back, then lose it back to Aoki, ending Folayang’s second title reign in the process.

The lightweight pair remain two of ONE Championship’s most successful athletes. Both men are coming off wins: Shinya Aoki in an openweight bout against John Lineker, and Eduard Folayang opposite Amir Khan.

ONE 172 also features a flyweight kickboxing super-fight between Thailand’s Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Japanese superstar Takeru Segawa. On the MMA side, Adriano Moraes and Yuya Wakamatsu collide with flyweight gold on the line.

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Lee, a double-champ who holds gold at lightweight and welterweight for the company, has been out of action since November of 2022. That’s due in part due to the tragic death of younger sister Victoria Lee, a fellow ONE Championship fighter who took her own life in late December 2022.

Sister Angela Lee, once one of ONE Championship’s biggest stars, officially retired last year, opting not to carry on in the MMA business following the loss of her sister. Nearly two years later, however, brother Christian returns, looking to defend his lightweight title against Alibeg Rasulov.

Rasulov earned his shot at gold earlier this year, defeating former champ Ok Rae Yoon in July.

Lee versus Rasulov is one of two title fights on the ONE Fight Night 26 card, as Mayssa Bastos vs. Danielle Kelly will see the winner come away with the ONE atomweight submission grappling championship.

Where to Watch ONE Fight Night 26

The latest ONE Fight Night card takes place at the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday, December 6, 2024. The event streams live on Amazon Prime Video for fans in North America. Full results from the event can be found below.

ONE Fight Night 26 Results

Christian Lee (c) vs. Alibeg Rasulov ends via No Contest due to eye poke – for the ONE lightweight championship
Kongthoranee Sor Sommai def. Nakrob Fairtex via Unanimous Decision – Muay Thai
Mayssa Bastos (c) def. Danielle Kelly via Unanimous Decision – for the ONE atomweight submission grappling championship
Reece McLaren def. Jarred Brooks via Split Decision – MMA
Elias Mahmoudi def. Denis Puric by KO, Round 3, 2:58 – Muay Thai
Yuya Wakamatsu def. Gilbert Nakatani by unanimous decision – MMA
Shamil Gasanov def. Halil Amir by unanimous decision – MMA
Cole Abate def. Shinya Aoki by heel hook, 2:25 – submission grappling
Jonathan Di Bella def. Rui Botelho by unanimous decision – kickboxing
Dante Leon def. Bruno Pucci by submission (triangle armbar), Round 1, 2:01- submission grappling
Thongpoon PK Saenchai def. Danial Williams by TKO, Round 2, 1:10 – Muay Thai

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The swith from Northcutt to Lineker is large, as Northcutt is a large welterweight while Lineker weighed in at 151 pounds in his surprise appearance at weigh-ins. However they both are athletic, heavy-hitters who are much younger than the 40-year-old Aoki. His grappling-focused approach would be the same regardless, though Lineker has reached high points in this sport, including being a champion in ONE Championship. The size could be especially telling with that approach, and in the end it indeed was, as Aoki used his strength and grappling to dominate his foe.

Aoki shot for a double leg early on and made clear that his size advantage would matter, dragging Lineker down to the mat. Lineker tried to wrestle up but Aoki snatched a tight d’Arce choke. He stepped over into mount while trying to finish with it, so when he failed the choke he had gained the position. Shinya pounded away against a nearly helpless Lineker until the Brazilian gave up his back. Aoki took the opportunity and locked up a rear-naked choke as Lineker tried to stand up, only to tap the moment he got fully to his feet.

It was a feel good moment for fans abroad, but especially in Japan, where Aoki is most beloved. He was visibly emotional in his post-fight interview, and was grateful to recieve one of the $50,000 bonuses for his finish.

Official Result: Shinya Aoki def. John Lineker by Submission (rear-naked choke) Round 1, 3:00

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And while Kickboxing took the spotlight in the final two bouts of the evening, with a world title fight and a grand prix final, there were some familiar names for longtime MMA fans.

In fact, two Japanese legends were in action at ONE 163, as Shinya Aoki returned against Saygid Izagakhmaev, while former UFC title challenger Yushin Okami took on ex-ONE double champ Aung La N Sang.

ONE 163: Akimoto vs. Ptechtanong goes down live on Saturday, November 19, 2022 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, with the action getting underway at 5AM ET. Full results can be found below; where available, a live stream of all the action can also be viewed in the embed below.

ONE 163: Akimoto vs. Petchtanong Results

Main Card

Petchtanong Petchfergus def. Hiroki Akimoto by split decision – For the ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Championship
Roman Kryklia def. Iraj Azizpour by TKO, Round 2, 1:28 – Heavyweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix Final
Saygid Izagakhmaev def. Shinya Aoki by TKO, Round 1, 1:26
Aung La N Sang def. Yushin Okami by TKO, Round 1, 1:42
Woo Sung Hoon def. Yuya Wakamatsu by TKO, Round 1, 2:46
Kwon Won Il def. Mark Abelardo by TKO, Round 3, 3:45

Lead Card

Ahmed Krnjic def. Bruno Chaves by unanimous decision  – kickboxing
Ahmed Mujtaba def. Abraao Amorim by submission (triangle choke), Round 1, 4:32
Asahi Shinagawa def. Rui Botelho by split decision – Muay Thai
Bianca Basilio def. Milena Sakumoto by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 0:42 – Submission Grappling
Kirill Gorobets def. Bruno Pucci by unanimous decision

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Shinya Aoki, Yushin Okami, Itsuki Hirata, and Yuya Wakamatsu are all expected to be in action at the ONE 163 card, ONE Championship officials announced recently. The event is set to take place in the promotion’s stronghold in Singapore at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

A bantamweight kickboxing title fight will headline the card, featuring Japanese champ Hiromi Akimoto defending his belt against Thailand’s Petchtanong Petchfergus.

On the MMA side, Aoki (47-10, 1NC), one of the sport’s elder statesmen, will take on Saygid Izagakhmaev (21-2). The Russian has won four straight, including two under the ONE Championship banner.

Aoki had a four-fight win streak snapped in his last outing by fellow UFC star Yoshihiro Akiyama, a.k.a. “Sexyama.”

Okami (37-14) will be competing in MMA for the first time since 2019, when he snapped a three-fight skid with a win over Agilan Thani. Okami has been paired up with former ONE double-champ Aung La N Sang at ONE 163.

Itsuki Hirata (6-1) got back in the win column earlier this year against Lin Heqin, after suffering her first pro loss against Jihin Radzuan at ONE X. Hirata will face former UFC and Road FC fighter Seo Hee Ham (25-8), who has won her last eight fights — which includes capturing the RIZIN Super Atomweight title prior to the coronavirus pandemic.

Finally, Yuya Wakamatsu (15-5) has been booked opposite Sung Hoon Woo (9-3).

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Billed as a grudge match between Japanese legends, Aoki vs. Akiyama was a clash between fighters at very different points in their respective careers.

“Sexyama,” always a fan favorite, was coming off a win over Sherif Mohamed — his first in years. At 46, Akiyama’s combat sports run was coming to an end; Aoki, eight years younger, was undefeated since losing his lightweight title to Christian Lee, and still had the chance to make one last charge towards a title.

Grudge match or not — that angle of the fight seemed to center around Aoki’s disdain for Akiyama’s celebrity status and acting career — the pair touched gloves and bowed ahead of the opening bell. Once underway, Aoki immediately worked for a takedown, then took the back with Akiyama still standing. He clamped on a body lock, and began working to get under the neck of Akiyama.

Before long, the choke was in tight, and Akiyama looked to be on his way out — but he was able to fight the hands and earn a reprieve! Aoki then looked to soften his opponent up with punches, only to be warned repeatedly for hitting the back of the head.

The boost in morale from fighting off Aoki’s submission attempts, however, did not negate the fact that Akiyama had carried his opponent’s weight for an entire round. He’d fight through a neck crank late in the frame, and at least survived to see the second stanza.

In round two, Akiyama fought off an early takedown, fired a spinning backfist, then fought off a second takedown attempt and reversed along the fence. Akiyama landed a right; back in the open, Aoki returned fire. Things opened up then, Akiyama landing uppercut after uppercut; Aoki dropped to his knees for a takedown, but Akiyama began unloading with a knee and short shots. The knee really had Aoki stunned, the follow-up punches were barely defended, and that was enough to send the ref in!

https://twitter.com/HarukoHitomi/status/1507716620952776715

Following the win, Akiyama was awarded a $50,000 performance bonus, and declared he’d bring “more sexy” to the fights moving forward. At age 46, in the biggest event in ONE Championship history, Akiyama brought sexy back, at least for one night.

Official Result: Yoshihiro Akiyama def. Shinya Aoki by TKO, Round 2, 1:50

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The event was scheduled to take place Saturday, March 26 (technically kicking off late Friday in the west), with three distinct parts — the third and final of which would air exclusively on PPV.

Atop the mammoth event, women’s atomweight champion Angela Lee returned, looking to defend her title against grand prix champ Stamp Fairtex. After taking time away from the sport to start a family, Lee was looking at a Fairtex who had upset decorated Indian wrestler Ritu Phogat to capture the atomweight grand prix title — earning her shot at the belt in the process.

Also on the ONE X card, Muay Thai star Rodtang was booked into a special rules bout with Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson, with four three minute rounds alternating between Muay Thai, MMA, Muay Thai, and finally MMA again.

The full bout would utilize four ounce MMA gloves.

Part I and Part II of ONE X can be viewed live below, while the third and final segment, the ONE X “Grand Finale,” is available via watch.onefc.com. The action kicks off at 10PM PT/1AM ET on Friday/Saturday, depending on your location. Full results are available below.

ONE X: Lee vs. Stamp Results

Grand Finale

Angela Lee (c) def. Stamp Fairtex by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 4:50 – ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship
Demetrious Johnson def. Rodtang by technical submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 2:13 – Special Rules Super-Fight
Adriano Moraes (c) def. Yuya Wakamatsu by submission (guillotine choke), Round 3, 3:58 – ONE Flyweight World Championship
Yoshihiro Akiyama def. Shinya Aoki by TKO, Round 2, 1:50
Eduard Folayang def. John Wayne Parr by unanimous decision – Muay Thai
Superbon Singha Mawynn (c) def. Marat Grigorian by unanimous decision – ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Championship

Part II

Nong-O Gaiyanghadao def. Felipe Lobo by knockout, Round 3, 2:15 – ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Championship
Hiroki Akimoto def. Capitan Petchyindee (c) by unanimous decision – ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Championship
Ham Seo Hee def. Denice Zamboanga by unanimous decision
Jihin Radzuan def. Itsuki Hirata by split decision
Tang Kai def. Kim Jae Woong by knockout, Round 1, 2:07

Part I

Chingiz Allazov def. Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong by unanimous decision – ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix Championship Final
Reinier de Ridder vs. Andre Galvao- ends in a unanimous draw – submission grappling
Sinsamut Klinmee def. Nieky Holzken by knockout, Round 2, 1:39 – Muay Thai
Jeremy Miado def. Lito Adiwang by TKO, Round 2, 2:56
Stephen Loman def. Shoko Sato by unanimous decision
Amir Khan def. Ryogo Takahashi by split decision
Kang Ji Won def. Paul Elliott by knockout, Round 1, 0:58
Mei Yamaguchi vs. Danielle Kelly ends in  unanimous draw – submission grappling
Senzo Ikeda def. Ryuto Sawada by TKO, Round 2, 3:09

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Complications from COVID-19, however, have seen Northcutt fall out of the bout. Instead, Aoki (46-9, 1NC) features in a rubber match with Eduard Folayang.

The pair have fought twice before, with both previous encounters coming in title fights. In 2016, Folayang defeated Aoki to claim the Japanese fighter’s lightweight title. In 2019, Aoki submitted Folayang to win the belt back.

There will be no title on the line Wednesday at ONE on TNT IV. In fact, Aoki admitted during this week that he “wasn’t expecting Folayang’s trilogy.” Nor is he expecting to be paired up with another fighter he has a long history with, who is also fighting on the card — Eddie Alvarez. “I’m not expecting [to fight] against Eddie. Whatever I want, I never get it, so I’m not asking for anything,” he stated via translator.

There’s a possibility that could happen, however, given ONE’s top exec., Chatri Sityodtong, expressed interest in the fight during his own media day session.

Aoki was also asked about Alvarez’s recent DQ loss to Iuri Lapicus, which was later overturned to a No Contest. “Don’t make me do that. I don’t want to get in trouble,” he laughed.

Then there’s champ Christian Lee, who brought about the end to Aoki’s second reign as lightweight champion. “He’s really young. I saw a lot of improvement,” Aoki said of Lee’s most recent title defense, a finish of Timofey Nastyukhin. “When I fought two years ago against Christian, I felt that he was going to get better and strong, and he really did.”

Despite their history and what a fourth straight win under ONE Championship banner could mean, Aoki “is not looking at Christian’s belt,” he stated. Instead, he “just wants to continuously fight, and enjoy the martial arts.”

As he frequently has in recent times, the 37-year old wore a t-shirt this week emblazoned with the slogan “Age is just a number.” So what’s the secret to success at his age? Well, it’s not a secret at all, said Aoki.

“It’s not a secret, but practice every day, eat good food, practice well, sleep well. Just do the basic important things that you have to do in life, and then you can keep your conditioning.”

As to whether he’s coming up on the end of his career, Aoki said he’d been asked that before. The answer is the same. “It’s not the end, I don’t feel the end. I don’t feel I’m in the best condition right now, and I’m still improving.”

Watch the full ONE on TNT IV media day interview with Shinya Aoki above. The event takes place Wednesday, April 28, with the main card airing live on TNT starting at 10PM ET.

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Speaking at a media day for this week’s ONE on TNT IV, which has both Alvarez and Aoki on the card, although not against each other, Sityodtong told Cageside Press that “I think before everything is said and done, I think definitely, Eddie and Shinya, the trilogy bout is a must.”

In fact, it’s a fight the promotion tried to put together for Wednesday night. Exclaiming that “I really want to do” Alvarez vs. Aoki 3, Sityodtong revealed that “we were trying to make that fight happen for ONE on TNT IV. It just didn’t happen, but we’d offered that fight to Shinya and Eddie. The trilogy.”

The pair first met at Dynamite 2008, an annual K-1 and Dream hybrid event, with the WAMMA lightweight championship on the line. Aoki submitted Alvarez by heel hook within a round, serving up just the second loss of the Philadelphia native’s career.

The rematch came four years later, in 2012, under the Bellator banner. That time out, it was Alvarez earning a first round stoppage, via TKO. Since “The Underground King” arrived in ONE Championship a few years ago, the rubber match has been an interesting possibility.

Except, perhaps, for Alvarez. “I don’t feel the need to beat Shinya Aoki to put it to rest,” he said during his own media day session on Monday. The rematch was over quick, he added. “But if the trilogy match happens and the fans want it, then it happens. But it’s not something that I necessarily care for or want or need.”

In the meantime, Sityodtong sees Alvarez as a possibility for a title shot with a strong performance this week. While rankings might play a factor, “it also all depends on how Eddie performs. Obviously if he doesn’t perform well, then I don’t think he’s ready for a title shot. If he performs well, then that’s up for consideration,” he stated. “Because Christian Lee has beaten I think the top four ranked lightweights already, there is a strong possibility that if Eddie puts on an incredible performance, than he’s next in line for a title shot. He’s definitely one or two fights away from a title shot.”

If that doesn’t happen, could Aoki get the next shot? The Japanese fighter is looking for his fourth consecutive win on Wednesday. “Definitely. That’s also a possibility,” replied Sityodtong.

Watch the full ONE on TNT IV media day interview with Chatri Sityodtong above. The event takes place Wednesday, April 28, with the main card airing live on TNT starting at 10PM ET.

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“Super Sage” is finally fighting again.  Two years after suffering facial fractures in his ONE Championship debut, Sage Northcutt will be returning to the ring to face Japanese MMA legend Shinya Aoki at a ONE event on April 28.  The news was broken by Northcutt in an interview with ESPN on Wednesday morning.

The 24 year old Sage Northcutt (11-3) first rose to prominence when he signed with the UFC as the first fighter discovered on Dana White’s Lookin’ for a Fight in 2015 at 19 years old.  At the time, he was the youngest fighter ever to be signed with the promotion. During his four year UFC run, Northcutt accumulated a 6-2 record before leaving the company in free agency.  In 2019, he signed with ONE and made his debut against veteran kickboxer Cosmo Alexandre.  Northcutt lost the fight by first round knockout, suffering facial fractures that required surgery and have kept him sidelined since the fight.

MMA veteran Shinya Aoki (46-9, 1NC) is looking to continue his road back to the ONE championship title as he pursues his fourth victory in a row.  Aoki has fought for ONE since 2012 and has enjoyed a nearly 20 year professional career fighting in several major Asian promotions including PRIDE, DREAM, RIZIN, DEEP, and now ONE.  Notably, the ONE lightweight limit is 170 pounds as opposed to 155 pounds that is traditionally seen in most promotions and Aoki has even gone up to 185 pounds to challenge for titles in ONE.

The fight will be part of an event also featuring the recently announced women’s atomweight Grand Prix to determine a challenger for Angela Lee who is currently taking a hiatus from competition.  The event is also expected to air on prime time in the United States on TNT.

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