With Shinya Aoki set for ONE X, who should he face?

Ever since former ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki’s name was mentioned among those who’ll be competing in ONE X on March 26, rumors have circulated around who the grappling ace will face next.

While there’s no definite answer yet, seeing who the Japanese legend will tackle next would be interesting to say the least, especially since the Evolve MMA star is still in the thick of things in the loaded lightweight division.

Aoki has won eight of his last nine bouts, with only one match reaching the decision. Thus, a win for the 38-year-old in his next match could put him back in the World Title picture, making this potential showdown at ONE X a crucial one.

So, who are the potential opponents for Aoki? Let’s take a look.

Eddie Alvarez

It’s a fight that a lot of people expected to see the moment Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez signed with ONE, but for some reason fans haven’t witnessed the conclusion to their epic trilogy yet.

Aoki and Alvarez share a deep history as they first met back in 2008, where Aoki submitted him in the first round. Then in 2012 the American returned the favor by finishing the Japanese man in the first round.

What better way to wrap up a trilogy 14 years in the making than by finishing it at the organization’s tenth-anniversary show?

Sage Northcutt

Speaking of fights that should’ve happened a long time ago, the clash between “Super” Sage Northcutt and Aoki was actually signed for “ONE on TNT” in April of last year but had to be postponed due to unforeseen circumstances.

With both men healthy and free to fight, the clash between the flamboyant Northcutt and the brash Aoki is something that would certainly excite fans from all over the world, both in and out of the Circle.

From the looks of their exchanges on Twitter, it seems like Aoki and Northcutt don’t like each other, making for an epic build-up of what could be fight of the night.

Saygid Izagakhmaev

Unlike Alvarez and Northcutt, Saygid Izagakhmaev shares no history with Aoki, but after the Russian’s debut in ONE, the beef may have been stirred.

Immediately after dismantling James Nakashima, the Dagestani grappling machine name-dropped the Japanese athlete in his rather colorful post-fight interview. He also proclaimed that he’s going to take over the entire division.

Should this fight happen, the grappling exchanges will be phenomenal given Izagakhmaev’s smothering top control and Aoki’s brilliance off his back.