MMA: Shinya Aoki to challenge Kotetsu Boku for ONE FC title in Singapore

ONE FC’s biggest star will finally get a chance to win the title. Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki will be challenging Kotetsu “No Face” Boku on April 5 for the ONE FC lightweight title in One FC: Kings and Champions, to be held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Kotetsu Boku defeated Brazilian contender Zorobabel Moreira at ONE FC: Rise of Kings last October to earn the inaugural ONE FC lightweight world championship title belt, while Aoki earned his shot at the title following a devastating submission victory over Arnaud Lepont.

Boku is no stranger to adversity. He is a tenacious competitor who has never backed down from a tough fight. Boku ignited the crowd at the sold-out Singapore Indoor Stadium last October with a massive come-from-behind victory over Zorobabel Moreira at 0:31 seconds of round 3, earning him the right to be called the first ever ONE FC lightweight champion. With six wins in his last seven fights, Boku is enjoying one of the most successful spells of his career, but he will be facing toughest test in his career for his next fight.

Aoki is the DREAM Lightweight Champion and has beaten MMA legends such as Tatsuya Kawajiri, Marcus Aurelio, and Rich Clementi. He holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and judo, which has earned him a reputation as one of the most dangerous submission artists the sport of MMA has ever seen. His last ONE FC outing saw him put Arnaud Lepont to sleep with a triangle choke in front of his adopted home of Singapore, earning him the opportunity to fight for the ONE FC lightweight title. The famed Grandmaster of Flying Submissions is looking forward to showcasing his legendary skills once again to his fans when he enters the cage in April.

“ONE FC: Kings and Champions will be the biggest in ONE FC history and features the biggest names in MMA,” said ONE FC CEO Victor Cui. “I’m beyond excited to see the most thrilling fighters in Asia perform at state-of-the art Singapore Indoor Stadium.”

The semifinals of ONE FC’s bantamweight grand prix will also be included in the card as Jens Pulver faces Masakatsu Ueda, while Filipino Kevin Belingon takes on Than Vu.

ONE FC: Kings and Champions will also witness fights featuring Melvin Manhoef and Brock Larson and Arnaud Lepont versus Eddie Ng. - Carlo Pamintuan / AMD, GMA News