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Japanese MMA legend Shinya Aoki has been fighting at the highest level for a decade-plus. Despite that, he recently revealed that he's still learning new skills even in the latter stages of his storied career.
In an exclusive interview with ONE Championship, Aoki was asked if he regrets not focusing more on improving his striking over the years. To that, he replied:
"At my age, I’m still constantly improving my striking, I feel like it’s getting better. There is so much to learn, and that’s one thing I love about martial arts. The journey never ends."
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While Aoki is building upon his striking arsenal, it's clear that he's best known for his elite grappling. Incredibly, 10 of his 13 victories under the ONE banner have come by way of submission.
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Additionally, four of Aoki's five ONE defeats have come via TKO, adding to the narrative that his grappling game is far more advanced than his striking.
Shinya Aoki is looking to overcome defeat once more
Like most athletes, 'Tobikan Judan' has gone through ups and downs throughout his career. However, he warned people about counting him out:
“To be honest, I’m not a rising star anymore. I still remember an interview in the circle after the fight, it was in 2018. I was losing three in a row in 2016 and 2017, and the interviewer told me, 'People say Aoki is done.' For me, I thought it’s none of your business. Some people are so shallow that they can only see this sport in wins or losses. But I overcame that even after people said I’m done.”
Suffering losses in his last two outings (one in grappling), some are ready to count Aoki out once again. However, he suffered a three-fight losing streak across 2016 and 2017 and returned with a four-fight finish streak.
The 39-year-old is a Japanese MMA legend and he's still looking to build upon that status before he hangs up the gloves. Shinya Aoki will next look to add to his legacy when he takes on Saygid Izagakhmaev at ONE 163 on November 19, live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Check out a highlight reel of Shinya Aoki's top-five ONE finishes below:
