Shinya Aoki feels ONE’s grappling ruleset ‘is a plus’ for Mikey Musumeci’s style

Japanese martial arts legend Shinya Aoki returns to the global stage of ONE Championship for his toughest assignment yet this Friday, October 6.

The former ONE lightweight MMA world champion meets ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion Mikey Musumeci in an openweight submission grappling bout, looking to end his three-match dent under the ONE banner.

Against someone as skilled as ‘Darth Rigatoni’ though, the veteran of the sport isn’t looking past his foe’s expertise in the discipline.

Shinya Aoki senses that his opposite number will pedal to the metal and put him through hell from the start.

On top of that, the Evolve MMA affiliate feels like Musumeci’s submission-hunting style is perfectly tailored to the promotion’s all-out attacking submission grappling ruleset – something that only adds excitement to his upcoming contest.

Speaking to ONE Championship, the 40-year-old icon said:

“I think the rules in ONE Championship fit Mikey very well. If you’re on the ground and attack from below, you won’t get a negative point. In that sense, I think the rule set is a plus for him.”

While he concedes that advantage may be on his 27-year-old rival’s side, Shinya Aoki knows he can bank on his two-decade experience competing at the top at ONE Fight Night 15 inside the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, later this week.

Both men have tonnes of ways and tricks to outmaneuver each other on the canvas, so expect this single-round affair to be packed with pace, aggression, and action.

On paper, Musumeci is the man in form, but as history suggests, it's never wise to count out 'Tobikan Judan' even if the odds are stacked against him.

The entire fight card will be available to fans in the United States and Canada for free with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription in U.S. primetime this Friday, October 6.