Tag: Shinya Aoki

Sage Northcutt withdraws from ONE on TNT IV bout vs. Shinya Aoki; Eduard Folayang steps in

Sage Northcutt has withdrawn from ONE on TNT IV due to lingering effects from COVID-19.

[autotag]Sage Northcutt[/autotag]’s highly anticipated return to ONE Championship has been delayed.

Northcutt (11-3) is out of his April 28 welterweight fight vs. [autotag]Shinya Aoki[/autotag] (46-9) at ONE on TNT IV due to lingering effects from COVID-19, officials announced on Monday morning after an initial report from ESPN.

Northcutt, who tested positive for COVID-19 in January, hasn’t competed since May 2019 when he suffered a 29-second knockout to kickboxer Cosmo Alexandre at ONE Championship 96. The damage sustained in the knockout loss to Alexandre was heavy, forcing Northcutt to undergo surgery to repair eight facial fractures.

Stepping in for Northcutt to face Aoki will be [autotag]Eduard Folayang[/autotag] (22-10), who was scheduled to fight Yoshihiro Akiyama on the same card, but Akiyama was forced out due to injury.

Aoki and Folayang have already competed against each other twice, splitting their two appearances. Folayang captured the ONE lightweight title from Aoki in November 2016 when he scored a third-round TKO win. But Aoki exacted his revenge less than three years later when he took his title back by submitting Folayang in the first round at ONE Championship 92 in March 2019.

Aoki would go on to lose his title to Christian Lee, but has since won three straight, most recently submitting James Nakashima in the first round in January. Meanwhile, Folayang dropped four of his past five, including stoppage losses to Aoki and former UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez.

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Shinya Aoki vs. Sage Northcutt booked for ONE on TNT IV

ONE Championship is pitting the past, present and future into one fight.

ONE Championship is pitting the past, present and future into one fight.

Japanese mixed martial arts pioneer [autotag]Shinya Aoki[/autotag] and former UFC hot prospect [autotag]Sage Northcutt[/autotag] will square off in a welterweight fight at ONE on TNT IV in Singapore. The event will be tape-delayed and air April 28 on TNT.

ESPN was the first to report the news Wednesday.

Despite his lengthy tenure in the MMA spotlight, Northcutt (11-3) is still just 24 years old. Following an eight-fight stint with the UFC, in which he compiled a 6-2 record, Northcut departed the promotion and signed with ONE Championship in late 2018.

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Northcutt made his promotional debut in May 2019 at ONE Championship 96, suffering a 29-second knockout to kickboxer Cosmo Alexandre. The knockout was brutal in nature, and Northcutt required surgery to repair facial fractures as a result. On top of the physical damage, the loss snapped a three-fight winning streak for Northcutt.

Aoki (46-9) is still winning far more than he’s losing. Over the span of his past eight outings, Aoki has gone 7-1 with six finishes, including last month’s submission win over James Nakashima for the 30th submission of his career. In November, Aoki will hit the 18th anniversary of his professional debut. Aoki, 37, made stops in Shooto, PRIDE, DREAM, Strikeforce, and Bellator leading up to his extended stay under the ONE Championship banner.

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ONE Championship 126: Shinya Aoki reaches submission milestone, finishes James Nakashima

Japanese MMA icon Shinya Aoki notched his 30th career submission by defeating James Nakashima at ONE Championship 126.

Japanese MMA icon [autotag]Shinya Aoki[/autotag] reached a career milestone as the former ONE lightweight champion notched the 30th submission win of his career at “ONE Championship 126: Unbreakable” in Singapore.

Matched against former LFA welterweight champion [autotag]James Nakashima[/autotag], Aoki (46-9) took charge of the bout early in the first round as, after some clinch work against the cage, “Tobikan Judan” leapt onto Nakashima’s (12-2) back before locking up a body triangle and following up with a rear-naked choke to claim the win at the 2:42 mark.

Aoki’s win saw him become ONE Championship’s all-time leader in submission finishes with eight, and extended his remarkable tally of overall submission finishes to 30. It also extended his winning streak as he continued his return to form following his title loss to Christian Lee in May 2019 with his third consecutive victory.

While one former champion shined in Singapore, it proved to be a nightmare for another ex-champ, as former welterweight titleholder [autotag]Zebaztian Kadestam[/autotag] was quickly taken down and submitted by rising Russian contender [autotag]Gadzhimurad Abdulaev[/autotag].

Abdulaev (6-0) secured an early takedown and immediately took the Swedish fighter’s back, locking in his position with a body triangle. Kadestam (12-6) attempted to fight the hands as Abdulaev worked for a rear-naked choke but, despite being prevented from lacing his arm under the former champion’s chin, Abdulaev simply switched to a face crank and applied the pressure to force the tap and secure an eye-catching first-round finish.

Also on the card, women’s atomweight contender [autotag]Meng Bo[/autotag] (17-5) continued her run toward a title shot with a unanimous decision over Brazil’s [autotag]Samara Santos[/autotag] (11-8-1), while Filipino striker [autotag]Lito Adiwang[/autotag] scored a one-punch knockout of Japan’s [autotag]Namiki Kawahara[/autotag] to bounce back into the win column.

Team Lakay’s Adiwang (12-3), who earned his spot on the ONE roster via the promotion’s talent-finding ONE Warrior Series, saw his two-fight win streak come to an end after losing a split decision to Hiroshi Minowa in November 2020. But “The Thunder Kid” returned to action in style and decked Kawahara (7-4-2) with a perfectly timed left hand in the second round to return to winning ways in fine style.

ONE Championship 126 results include:

  • Shinya Aoki def. James Nakashima via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:42
  • Gadzhimurad Abdulaev def. Zebaztian Kadestam via submission (face crank) – Round 1, 2:08
  • Meng Bo def. Samara Santos via unanimous decision
  • Lito Adiwang def. Namiki Kawahara via knockout (punch) – Round 2, 2:02

ONE Championship 126’s Shinya Aoki on how he keeps motivated nearing 60 professional fights

Nearing 60 professional fights, Shinya Aoki explains how he keeps motivated.

[autotag]Shinya Aoki[/autotag] has basically seen it all in MMA.

The former DREAM, Shooto and ONE Championship titleholder has been fighting professionally since 2003 and has amassed 55 professional fights. Aoki (45-9 MMA), who also competes in grappling, fights in his 56th pro MMA bout Friday against James Nakashima at ONE Championship 126.

Aoki, 37, is still going strong and enjoying a good run of 6-1 in his last seven bouts. The Japanese veteran admits motivation comes and goes, but discipline keeps him fighting.

“My motivation is to train and fight, and I think a lot of people have different reasons for training and continuing fighting for a long time. But to train for something or to have a goal is kind of fickle to have,” Aoki told MMA Junkie Radio. “Motivation, it comes and goes. Rather than motivation, I think it’s along the lines of discipline, and my discipline derives simply from enjoying what I do.”

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Fighting has become part of the routine for Aoki. Stepping in the cage is not as nerve wracking as when he was just starting out in MMA.

“I’ve been at this for 20 years, almost,” Aoki said. “The first time I fought, there was a sense of exhilaration that gravitated away as time went on. I continue fighting because of the feeling that I need to continue fighting.

“It’s just another fight in the books. I get this question a lot, but it’s just another day in the office and I treat every fight the same way.”

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Combat Rewind, May 28: Rapid-fire knockouts and a magnificent Marcelo Garcia

Check out the best highlights from this day in history with MMA Junkie’s “Combat Rewind.”

There’s “Flashback Friday” and “Throwback Thursday” (and Tuesday, too, if you want). But at MMA Junkie, we figured why not expand that to every day?

“Combat Rewind” brings you some of combat sports’ best highlights from every calendar day of the year. It’s a look back at history, courtesy of the UFC Fight Pass archives, featuring stellar finishes and classic moments in MMA and beyond on their anniversaries.

So kick back and relive the following bits of greatness in the video above:

  • Pancrase 287: [autotag]Hiroshige Tanaka[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Hatsu Hioki[/autotag] – May 28, 2017
  • ADCC World Championships 2005: [autotag]Leonardo Santos[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Georges St-Pierre[/autotag] – May 28, 2005
  • Cage Warriors 42: [autotag]Tim Newman[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Grzegorz Tredowski[/autotag] – May 28, 2011
  • ADCC World Championships 2005: [autotag]Marcelo Garcia[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Shinya Aoki[/autotag] – May 28, 2005
  • Pancrase – Brave 5: [autotag]Yoshiro Maeda[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Isamu Sugiuchi[/autotag] – May 28, 2004
  • ADCC World Championships 2005: [autotag]Marcelo Garcia[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ricco Rodriguez[/autotag] – May 28, 2005
  • Cage Rage Contenders 1: [autotag]Jake Bostwick[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Troy Gorman[/autotag] – May 28, 2006
  • ADCC World Championships 2005: [autotag]Ronaldo Souza[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Dennis Hallman[/autotag] – May 28, 2005
  • Pancrase 287: [autotag]Yuya Wakamatsu[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Takahiro Furumaki[/autotag] – May 28, 2017

Fight footage courtesy of UFC Fight Pass, the UFC’s official digital subscription service, which is currently offering a seven-day free trial. UFC Fight Pass gives fans access to exclusive live UFC events and fights, exclusive live MMA and combat sports events from around the world, exclusive original and behind the scenes content and unprecedented 24-7 access to the world’s biggest fight library.

Combat Rewind, May 28

“Combat Rewind” brings you some of combat sports’ best highlights from every calendar day of the year, courtesy of the UFC Fight Pass archives.

“Combat Rewind” brings you some of combat sports’ best highlights from every calendar day of the year, courtesy of the UFC Fight Pass archives.

Combat Rewind, April 8: Top highlights include top submission artists Shinya Aoki, ‘Butterbean’

Check out the best highlights from this day in history with MMA Junkie’s “Combat Rewind.”

There’s “Flashback Friday” and “Throwback Thursday” (and Tuesday, too, if you want). But at MMA Junkie, we figured why not expand that to every day?

“Combat Rewind” brings you some of combat sports’ best highlights from every calendar day of the year. It’s a look back at history, courtesy of the UFC Fight Pass archives, featuring stellar finishes and classic moments in MMA and beyond on their anniversaries.

So kick back and relive the following bits of greatness in the video above:

  • Absolute Muay Thai: [autotag]Chai So Jo Toy Paedriw[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Phonchainoi Thidet 99[/autotag] – April 8, 2019
  • PRIDE 34: [autotag]Gilbert Yvel[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Akira Shoji[/autotag] – April 8, 2007
  • PRIDE 34: [autotag]Eric ‘Butterbean’ Esch[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Zuluzinho[/autotag] – April 8, 2007
  • Pancrase – Eyes of Beast 3: [autotag]Bas Rutten[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Takaku Fuke[/autotag] – April 8, 1995
  • PRIDE 34: [autotag]Shinya Aoki[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Brian Lo-A-Njoe[/autotag] – April 8, 2007
  • PRIDE 34: [autotag]Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ricardo Arona[/autotag] – April 8, 2007

Fight footage courtesy of UFC Fight Pass, the UFC’s official digital subscription service, which is currently offering a seven-day free trial. UFC Fight Pass gives fans access to exclusive live UFC events and fights, exclusive live MMA and combat sports events from around the world, exclusive original and behind the scenes content and unprecedented 24-7 access to the world’s biggest fight library.