Shinya Aoki closed out his iconic mixed martial arts career with another highlight-reel finish in his native Japan.
It only took ‘Tobikan Judan’ 53 seconds to notch another win over his greatest rival, Eduard Folayang, catching the Filipino fan favorite in a slick armbar submission mere moments into their bout at ONE 172.
As the fight began, Aoki immediately shot in for a double-leg takedown. Folayang successfully defended, but Aoki jumped guard, dragging Folayang down to the mat and catching the former ONE world champion in an armbar. Unable to fight his way out, ‘Landslide’ had no choice but to tap out, handing Aoki his third-straight victory in their iconic feud.
With the win, Aoki moved to 3-1 all-time against Folayang with all of his victories coming via submission in the opening round. After the fight, Aoki took off his gloves but declined to officially retire inside the ring, suggesting that an official announcement would be made at a later time.
Official Result: Shinya Aoki def. Eduard Folayang via submission (armbar) at 0:53 of Round 1
check out highlights from Eduard Folayang vs. Shinya Aoki at ONE 172:
