Former ONE lightweight MMA world champions Eduard Folayang, Shinya Aoki to renew their rivalry at ONE 172 in Japan

A classic rivalry between two legends of the sport, Eduard Folayang and Shinya Aoki, will have its fourth installment. ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang will play host to this epic lightweight MMA matchup on March 23.

This battle pitting two former ONE lightweight MMA world champions was revealed by the organization during the live broadcast of ONE Fight Night 27 last week.

Aoki leads their head-to-head battle with two wins to one.

In their trilogy at ONE on TNT IV in April 2021, 'Tobikan Judan' drew a tap from the Filipino hero inside the opening round by way of armbar.

Meanwhile, in their rematch at ONE: A New Era two years prior — Aoki avenged his earlier defeat to Folayang to reclaim his 26 pounds of gold.

The Japanese mixed martial arts icon was at his sparkling best as he locked up an arm-triangle choke from mount that rendered the defending king unconscious in only 154 seconds of the contest in Tokyo, Japan.

While he does own a pair of victories over Folayang, make no mistake, 'Landslide' can turn the match on its head to even the series at 2-2 when they meet at ONE 172 inside the Saitama Super Arena.

The 41-year-old's abilities in the stand-up department were second to none while he was at the peak of his powers, which helped him chalk up 10 victories from his first 15 outings on the global stage.

His run included several barnburner deals and a trio of successful world title outings over Aoki, Ev Ting, and Amir Khan.

Though he's taken a step back from the limelight in recent times, with his last appearance being a knockout win over Khan in their rematch in September 2023, 'Landslide' has played an instrumental role in building the next generation of fighters from the Philippines at Lions Nation MMA.

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Confirmed matchups for ONE 172

Besides Aoki and Folayang's matchup, a trio of blockbuster duels are penciled in for ONE Championship's return to 'The Land of The Rising Sun' in March.

In the ONE 172 headline attraction, Takeru Segawa and Rodtang Jitmuangnon will share the Circle in the planet's most hotly anticipated showdown. They cross paths in a five-round flyweight kickboxing battle.

In the co-main event, Adriano Moraes and Yuya Wakamatsu run it back for the vacant ONE flyweight MMA world championship.

Lastly, per onefc.com, two-sport, two-division kingpin Superlek Kiatmoo9 will unify the bantamweight Muay Thai throne against the winner of the interim world title matchup between Nico Carrillo and Nabil Anane at ONE 170.

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for more updates on ONE 172.