Former MMA World Champions Eduard Folayang And Shinya Aoki To Continue Rivalry At ONE 172 In Japan

One of the most storied rivalries in the history of ONE Championship is set for the organization’s blockbuster return to Japan.

On March 23 at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang, former ONE Lightweight MMA World Champions Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki and Eduard “Landslide” Folayang will throw down in a lightweight MMA tilt.

Set to take place at Saitama Super Arena, that fight will mark the fourth meeting between the two decorated veterans.

The pair first collided back in November 2016 at ONE: DEFENDING HONOR when Folayang scored a brutal third-round TKO to wrest the ONE Lightweight MMA World Title from Aoki and announce himself as a bona fide global superstar.

The Filipino would subsequently defend his belt one time before losing it and then reclaiming it again in 2018 with an unforgettable battle against Amir Khan.

In the first defense of his second reign as lightweight MMA king, Folayang rematched Aoki. But this time, it was the Japanese grappling wizard who emerged victorious with a first-round arm-triangle choke submission.

While “Tobikan Judan” lost his gold to current titleholder Christian “The Warrior” Lee in his next bout, his rivalry with Folayang was far from over.

In April 2021, the two fighters – both firmly established as true MMA icons – met for the third time. Once again, Aoki was able to employ his seemingly unmatched grappling prowess en route to another first-round submission victory.

Since their last clash, both men have seen ups and downs in ONE, but there is no doubt they will each come into ONE 172 more motivated than ever to put a stamp on this epic rivalry.

In short, fans can look forward to an intriguing showdown between two of MMA’s most crafty and skilled veterans on March 23.

Keep checking onefc.com for more news about ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang.