ONE X: ‘Sexyama’ pockets US$50,000 bonus with incredible comeback win over Shinya Aoki
- Japanese MMA legend Yoshihiro Akiyama survives torrid first round to KO Aoki in round two of ONE Championship grudge match
- ‘At some point I thought I was going to lose,’ 46-year-old admits after big victory at Singapore Indoor Stadium
It looked like Japanese MMA legend Yoshihiro Akiyama was in over his head at ONE X.
The 46-year-old judo specialist, known affectionately by fight fans as “Sexyama”, met fellow Japanese legend Shinya Aoki in a lightweight grudge match on the main card of Asian martial arts promotion ONE Championship’s 10th anniversary showcase on Saturday night in Singapore.
Akiyama spent the entirety of the first round trapped against the cage with Aoki clinging to his back like a backpack. He was seemingly on the verge of tapping out for the duration.
“At some point I thought I was going to lose,” Akiyama (16-7) admitted in his post-fight interview with ONE commentator Mitch Chilson.
Yet in an impressive display of veteran cunning, the ageing legend survived that early scare, and forced a stunning momentum swing with his striking in round two.
Early in the round, Akiyama began to sting Aoki at range, and when his rival – one of the most dangerous submission threats in MMA history – looked to tie up, he punished him with punches in close.
Before long, the referee was forced to intervene, handing Akiyama a TKO victory.
The win is his second in a row after a highlight-reel knockout of Sherif Mohamed in 2020. That win separated him from a decision loss against Agilan Thani in his ONE Championship debut.
Akiyama did not call anybody out after beating Aoki, but vowed to “bring more sexy to the fight” to a roar of laughter and applause from the crowd inside the host Singapore Indoor Stadium.
For Aoki (47-10), the loss signalled the end of a 5-fight unbeaten streak that earned him the No 3 spot in the ONE lightweight rankings – which makes Akiyama’s victory all the more impressive.
