Ahead of his Rizin FF catchweight fight against Kazushi Sakuraba, Shinya Aoki discussed his time at Evolve MMA with Ben Askren.
Ahead of Rizin Fighting Federation's inaugural shows, most fans are interested in the return of Russian heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko. However, two days prior to his return, a pair of Japanese legends will headline the first show in a 182-pound catchweight bout: Kazushi Sakuraba and Shinya Aoki.
It is a match-up that caught most fans and pundits by surprise. Sakuraba, once known as the 'Gracie killer' for his battles against Royler Gracie, Royce Gracie, and Renzo Gracie, turned 46 earlier this year.