It seems like Eduard “Landslide” Folayang isn’t the only person interested in facing Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki once more, even after the latter put a lid on their historic rivalry last week at “ONE on TNT IV” in emphatic fashion.
Even Aoki wants to make a saga out of this rivalry.
The Japanese legend said he’d like to face the Filipino icon again sometime in the future, stating that struggles are temporary and that he expects Folayang to break out and get his second wind.
“Five years ago, I lost against him. After that, I went through some struggles and a hard time, but I got through it,” Aoki said, referring to his string of losses in 2016.
“I think Folayang is having the same situation. He is losing a lot, but I think he can come back again. He is a good opponent, so I hope we can fight again in the near future.”
Actually, the moment they lost their initial opponents at “ONE on TNT IV” for various reasons, Aoki was excited for the opportunity to face Folayang for a third time.
“We both had a change of opponent and he was prepared very well. I still want Eduard to continue fighting, so I wanted to say, ‘Let’s continue together, keep on fighting,’” Aoki said.
In the match though, it was all Aoki, as he pressed Folayang into the Circle Wall early on before slickly taking the bout to the ground.
By the time they hit the canvas, it was all Aoki. He rained down elbows on an exposed Folayang before finishing him with an armbar submission.
The win meant a lot for Aoki, as not even a victory in their second outing was enough to erase the memories of being beaten by Folayang five years ago.
That loss, according to Aoki, instilled fear in him heading into this bout, but with the one-sided win, he can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that he has finally conquered the Filipino icon.
“I felt fear before going into the bout, but I won, so I am happy and satisfied now,” he said.
“I thought it would be tougher against Eduard, but my ground control went well and the elbows dropped with very good timing, so that was the point that favored me.”
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