Shinya Aoki
With days remaining before one of the most anticipated rematches of the year, outside of the Octagon, fans will get a chance to watch lightweights Shinya Aoki (30-5) and Eddie Alvarez (22-3) square off in the Bellator cage this Friday in the main event of Bellator 66.
This is a rematch of their DREAM ‘Dynamite!! 2008′ match which saw Aoki finish Alvarez in 92-seconds with a heel hook submission.
Speaking to MMAjunkie.com, Aoki talked about the improvements he’s made since their first meeting, especially in his standup since he joined the Elite MMA gym in Singapore. One of the main goals in this fight for the DREAM lightweight champ is to show the world that Japanese MMA is “still at the top level” of competition.
“I believe Eddie Alvarez and I have both evolved as different fighters,” he said. “I’m more confident in my standup skills with the hard training with Muay Thai champions at Evolve MMA gym in Singapore.
“And what makes Eddie dangerous is the power in his hands and his wrestling skill. He mixes these skills well and executes the game plan effectively.”
“My main goal in this fight with Eddie Alvarez is to prove myself and Japanese MMA are still at the top level,” he said. “I’d like to show my style is MMA, not just grappling or striking.”
The two meet this Friday (April 20, 2012) in the main event of Bellator 66 which takes place at the I-X Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The main card is set to air live on MTV2 with the prelim card streaming live at Spike.com.