Shinya Aoki vows to keep it simple versus Mikey Musumeci: “I won’t apply psychological techniques or cheap tricks”

Former ONE lightweight world champion Shinya Aoki is known to be a crafty grappler, which has only helped him to become one of the most feared submission artists in MMA.

The Japanese legend is one of the few athletes in the world’s largest martial arts organization with at least 10 submission victories to his record.

Aoki is on a three-fight skid that dates back to March 2022, and he is raring to get back in the winner’s column. And there isn’t a better way for him to announce his comeback than a grappling clinic alongside reigning ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion Mikey Musumeci.

The pair of world-class grapplers slug it out in an openweight submission grappling match at ONE Fight Night 15 this Friday, October 6, inside the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

This high-level grappling match will be the first of its kind, as Musumeci gives up a gigantic 35-pound difference against Aoki. But the 40-year-old isn’t taking this fight lightly and wants to make a statement that he can go toe-to-toe with a submission grappling world champion.

In his most recent interview with ONE Championship, ‘Tobidan Judan’ wants to set aside his craftiness to employ a very plain and straightforward approach to beat ‘Darth Rigatoni.

Aoki said:

“In this match, I won’t apply psychological techniques or cheap tricks. I will just get in the ring wearing only my pants and give a performance to show who I am.”

The Evolve MMA representative, who holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Judo, has previously submitted a few notable opponents in Eduard Folayang (twice), Kotetsu Boku, Kamal Shalorus, Marat Gafurov, Rasul Yakhyaev, Ev Ting, and James Nakashima.

ONE Fight Night 15 will be available live and for free for active Amazon Prime Video subscribers in North America in U.S. primetime this Friday, October 6.