Almost no one saw this coming.
Eduard Folayang disposed of Shinya Aoki with third-round strikes to capture the lightweight crown in the One Championship “Defending Honor” headliner on Friday at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. Aoki (39-7) gave way to blows 41 seconds into Round 3, his nine-fight winning streak at an end.
All went according to plan for Aoki for the better part of two rounds, as he ran his challenger through a series of clinches and takedowns. However, Folayang (17-5) withstood his submission advances, and by the end of the second round had begun to turn the tide through a sustained attack on the champion’s legs and body.