Japanese MMA legend Shinya Aoki returns to the Circle for an openweight grappling superfight against Mikey Musumeci. Read about the key differences between submission grappling and MMA, Aoki’s recent struggles, and how to watch the action live on Amazon Prime Video.
| Shinya Aoki returns to the Circle for an openweight grappling superfight against Mikey Musumeci.
| Aoki discusses the differences between submission grappling and MMA.
| Aoki aims to bounce back from recent losses with a standout performance.
| Musumeci presents a formidable challenge as one of the top submission grapplers.
| Catch all the action live and for free on Amazon Prime Video.
Shinya Aoki Returns to the Circle
Japanese MMA legend Shinya Aoki is set to make his return to the Circle this Friday night in an openweight grappling superfight against Mikey Musumeci, the reigning ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion.
Aoki, a former ONE lightweight world titleholder, has never backed down from facing elite grapplers. Throughout his career, he has taken on the likes of Garry Tonon, Marat Gafurov, and Kade Ruotolo. Now, in 2023, ‘Tobikan Judan’ is ready to step back into the Circle and showcase his skills against Musumeci in an openweight submission showdown.
In an interview with ONE Championship , Aoki discussed the differences between submission grappling and the grappling seen in mixed martial arts matchups. He emphasized that his style of grappling is specialized for MMA, which sets it apart from other approaches.
According to Aoki, the key distinction between MMA and submission grappling is the presence of strikes in MMA. This factor influences the choice of positions to avoid getting hit. In contrast, grappling without strikes allows for a wider range of positional choices.
Aoki has faced recent setbacks, losing his last three matchups, including two knockout losses against Yoshihiro Akiyama and Saygid Izagakhmaev in MMA. However, a standout performance against Musumeci at ONE Fight Night 15 could be the catalyst for Aoki’s comeback.
Musumeci, widely regarded as one of the greatest submission grapplers in the sport today, presents a formidable challenge. Aoki’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills will be put to the test in this highly anticipated matchup.
Fans in North America can catch all the action live and for free on Amazon Prime Video this Friday night, October 6, during U.S. primetime.
