Shinya Aoki wants to be offered to fight Ok Rae Yoon
![Shinya Aoki (left) won't mind a title tilt against lightweight king Ok Rae Yoon (right) [Photo courtesy of ONE Championship]](https://dailynationtoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/2bb83-16376024082691-1920-780x470.jpg)
Slightly annoyed that he hasn’t been able to fight since April of this year, ‘Tobikan Judan’ Shinya Aoki is looking forward to some big fights coming up.
The former ONE lightweight world champion multiple times has trying to fight UFC veterans Yoshihiro Akiyama and Sage Northcutt over the past few months, but to no avail. The 38-year-old legend feels time is running out and wants to fight as many times as he can, as long as he still can.
A possible big fight for Shinya Aoki is against the reigning lightweight world champion ONE Ok Rae Yoon.
At the age of 30, Ok is the period of physical peak. This year, he has transcended legend after legend, earning himself a cult following and the nickname ‘The Legendary Killer’. Ok ran the business with former ONE world featherweight champion Marat Gafurov in early April and then, a few weeks later, defeated former UFC champion Eddie Alvarez.
Then, just last September, Ok won the lightweight watch by becoming the first person to beat Christian Lee in almost three years.
On the other hand, Shinya Aoki has racked up four consecutive wins, including three impressive wins over highly regarded opponents James Nakashima, Eduard Folayang and Honorio Banario. That proves that even at the age of 38, Shinya Aoki is still as dangerous as ever.
Speaking to ONE Championship about his future career and about a potential match with Ok, Shinya Aoki said:
“It doesn’t matter who I fight, as long as I can get a match. I want this fight, for sure. But ONE Championship needs to make it happen. We’ll just find out who’s the better boxer, or if I can beat him, if we fight. We need to work things out in the Circle. People may think that older boxers don’t want to fight many fights in a year, but I always wanted to fight. I have never turned down an offer. I want to fight as many times as I can, but I haven’t received a fight offer since April. I’m waiting.”
However, ‘Tobikan Judan’ also said that winning ONE gold is no longer his priority. He just wants to deliver the battles fans want and matches that will allow him to test his abilities further.
“At this stage in my career, I don’t care much about winning titles anymore. I don’t fight and compete in martial arts because I want a belt. I’m doing this because I love it, I love it. I want to test myself against the best. With that said, I hope this war can be settled soon.”
Shinya Aoki thinks about the Ok-Lee controversy
Like so many others, Shinya Aoki watched as Ok Rae Yoon shocked the world with her unanimous decision victory over Christian Lee at ONE: Revolution. Ok won the belt after an impressive display of sharp and deep knockdown defense.
Many fans who witnessed the five-round fight argue that Lee did just enough to retain his title and the decision should have been read in reverse. The judges clearly called the fight another way.
Shinya Aoki, however, points out the problem with that. The 38-year-old shared his thoughts on the decision:
“I think we all have problems when the judges announce the winner and when we say ‘real winner.’ We have to respect the decision of the judges, but if you ask me who I think won the fight, that will only make the story more complicated. Both of them fought hard.”
Shinya Aoki, currently ranked 2nd in the table, is in a great position to really shake things up.
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Shinya Aoki first won the world light ONE title in a match against Korean star Kotetsu Boku in 2013. Now, more than eight years later, things could be turning round for Shinya Aoki. He’s in the best position to get the belt back again, from another aggressive Korean car.
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https://www.sportskeeda.com/mma/we-need-settle-things-circle-shinya-aoki-wants-offer-fight-ok-rae-yoon?utm_source=feed&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=sportskeeda Shinya Aoki wants to be offered to fight Ok Rae Yoon