At ONE: Immortal Pursuit, several warriors will fervently pursue their own version of immortality.
For Shinya Aoki, that comes in the form of adding the first loss to the pro MMA record of Ben Askren. Shinya is motivated to win another ONE championship title and also to redeem himself on the heels of losing the promotion’s 155 lb belt. For someone who has competed as low as Featherweight, Aoki revels in the challenge of beating Askren, the dominant Welterweight titlist. Though Shinya hasn’t competed in over a year, he is a life long martial artist who sharpens his weapons every day. Shinya is thrilled at the chance to test his hybrid, one of a kind grappling style against someone in Askren who very much has his own effective approach to grappling that is unique to himself.
Aoki said, “I am open for any grappling competition. It’s my bread-and-butter. My style is original. My approach in competing is very unique because I want to stand out and present something that my opponent has never seen yet. Facing me inside the cage or on the mat has always been a thrill for my opponents.”
There is no manufactured drama among the two. Just two training partners who have a pure desire to compete at a high level in martial arts. The Japanese legend said, “I am just for the challenge. I respect Ben as an athlete. I think he is a spectacular martial artist, and he inspires me. I was taught by him as well, even though he is younger than me, and he is an athlete I really respect. He has his own goal for his career. I have mine as well. I am here to win another belt in ONE Championship.”
I said to Aoki, “You feel like this Askren bout is the most intense to happen in ten years and it has high stakes. What would it mean to you to carve your place in ONE Championship history as a two division champion?” Shinya responded, “The goal is to be the best out there. I am not satisfied. I guess that it’s human nature. I have already cemented my legacy, but I want more.”
For Ben Askren, his immortality comes from another iteration of dominance over another elite martial artist. The Olympian and NCAA Division I All American has a spotless record in mixed-martial arts competition. “Funky” has collected and defended championships in both Bellator as well as ONE. The goal for Askren is to best Aoki, a world class championship caliber fighter, so that he can retire unbeaten and on top. Askren stated,“Shinya is a really good final opponent. Obviously, he is a legend of the sport, and he is a really big challenge on the ground, which is where I like to compete, personally. I am excited for this bout.” Few prize fighters know when the right time to leave is but Ben seems acutely self aware and sees this upcoming bout as a fitting swan song for his fighting journey.
I was curious about Ben’s post-competition plans and asked “Do your retirement plans consist of focusing more on coaching up and coming amateur wrestlers?”. Ben responded by saying, “It’s part of it. Even as an active competitor, I am already coaching at my own school, teaching wrestling. But I seek to explore other avenues like working for ONE Championship to look for up-and-coming talents.”
The ONE Welterweight champion has a great appreciation for his tenure in ONE Championship for a multitude of reasons. Askren stated, “I just found my golden opportunity in Asia. My trips to Asia have been a pleasure for me. I always enjoy seeing new cultures and learning new things. I’ve stepped in the cage 17 times, and I’ve never taken a loss. I think I am one of the best in the world, and I think it also says a lot about the consistency I bring. I bring a great performance every single time I step in the cage.”
Ben also added, “When you talk about martial arts, Asia is the home of martial arts. It has been the home of martial arts for the last 5,000 years. There are homegrown martial arts in every single country in Asia: Japan has Karate, Aikido and Judo. Meanwhile, Korea has Taekwondo. On the other hand, Thailand has Muay Thai. China has Kung Fu, while Russia has Sambo. It’s really very rich in history, but nobody has ever attempted to unify the continent this way. ONE Championship made it happen to celebrate the beauty of martial arts. Being part of the organization’s growth is such an honor.”
As a parting thought before his final bout “Funky” said, “I’ve always believed in hard work. You can have all the talent in the world, but if you don’t have work ethic behind it there will never be long-term success. I know what I’m capable of and know how hard I work, which is why I’m confident of my abilities. I know I can push further and harder than anyone in this game, because I’ve been in the training room or cage with nearly everybody who is considered elite at my weight. Of course anything can happen in a fight, but let’s just say I like my chances.”
For rising MMA fighter Amir Khan, the pursuit of a legacy that will be remembered through the ages takes on a different form. Amir’s efforts so far have been largely shaped by ONE Championship since 2014. Khan stated, “ONE Championship is the biggest promotion in Asia, and to be part of it, it’s truly an honor. Everything that I did in training is all worth it because I’ve made it here. I believe that this organization will be the world leader in this sport. If they grow, I will grow with them.”
Amir has a unique perspective on the main event bout since he has trained with both men at Evolve MMA. Amir said, “Both men have this champion’s pride in them. If they want to duke it out to find out who is the best, then they should do that. I view it as more of a friendly competition between them. At the end of the day, it will be a display of two outstanding athletes who are willing to show the world how they perfect their craft.” Khan also added, “Ben is Ben Askren for a reason. Everything that he touches turns into gold. It’s sad that he will bid goodbye on November 24. However, it ushers a new generation for young competitors like me.” Amir also extended praise towards Shinya Aoki. Khan stated, “I consider him as one of the notable pioneers of the sports in Asia. Having the opportunity to train with him at Evolve is such an honor. I have learned a lot from him. He is a giving martial artist. I hope I can work with him in the future.”
Khan’s current goal is to represent ONE as their Lightweight champion but he has a tall task in front of him. I asked him, “Does a big win here propel you towards a title shot?” Khan’s response was, “I feel I am ready to be a world champion any time soon. I believe once I put away Adrian Pang, I will be ready for the world championship. Adrian Pang is one of the top guys right now, so a title shot makes sense if I beat him. He is very experienced. He has got quadruple the amount of experience that I have. He has been around for a long time. He is just really tough and durable. I’ve just got to take my time and not fall into his game plan. Right when the bell starts, he likes to march forward and bring the action to people. I will just keep my range, dance around him a little bit, and wear him out. He is going to be swinging for the fences, from what I visualize. I’ll make him ticked off a bit, and then take him out in the second round”. Amir Khan currently has the record for most knockouts and finishes in ONE Championship history. With all those factors considered, I thought maybe there could be some pressure on Khan’s shoulders but he doesn’t see it that way. Khan is relishing in the moment, enjoying that his fight is so close to the main event spot, and is embracing the pressure associated with that.
My curiosity lead me to ask, “What does it mean to you to compete on such a big stage as a Singapore citizen in front of your countrymen?” Amir responded by saying, “Competing in Singapore in front of all my family, friends and fans is such an honor. As a martial artist, I want to use the platform that I am standing on to inspire people. Life isn’t just about what you achieve, it’s also what you inspire others to achieve. While it is very important to work on your own personal development, there are many underlying intangibles within the realm of success that extend far beyond your individual success. I hope to be an inspiration to the people of Singapore. It feels like I am very blessed and hopefully I can bring blessings to other people as well.”
Amir Khan also extended praise to some fighters competing on the undercard including unbeaten, Singaporean prospect Tiffany Teo. “The Singaporean scene is starting to grow, and ONE Championship surely played a role in unleashing homegrown superstars like me and Tiffany Teo. Tiffany and I will make every Singaporean proud this coming November 24.”
Though I specifically profiled three fighters leading into this event, each bout has a compelling story. Be it contender fights with world title shot implications or two red hot prospects ramming horns, the card is littered with engaging aspects for all types of combat sports fans. The ten bout card goes November 24th at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Can the former DREAM lightweight champion and Shooto Welterweight tilist Aoki pick up one of his biggest wins? Can Askren achieve the much sought after feat of retiring with a spotless MMA record? Can Amir Khan continue his history making run of finishes under the ONE banner and secure a 155lb title shot? Tune in to have all of these questions answered.