Aoki, Wiratchai clash for crown

Shinya "Tobikan Judan" Aoki. / AFP Former ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki and rising Thai superstar Shannon “OneShin” Wiratchai collide on July 27 for the One: Reign of Kings battle at the Mall of Asia.

Aoki (40-8, 1NC) is coming off a first-round submission victory over Rasul Yakhyaev last May that somehow put him back on track following back-to-back defeats to Filipino Eduard Foloyang and Ben Askren.

Wiratchai (9-2, 1NC) has only 12 professional contests to date. He joined One Championship early on and has since put together an impressive streak, winning seven out of nine, including a stretch where he won six straight against high quality opponents.

Known for his charismatic entrances, Wiratchai is an absolute showstopper.

If Aoki is a grappling ace, Wiratchai is the opposite.

He even developed his own style of martial arts called the OneShin Striking System, which is based off loose principles pulled from disciplines such as western boxing, Muay Thai, and the like.

The last time Wiratchai was in the cage was against Singapore’s Rahul Raju, who he knocked out with one punch in just 21 seconds of action.