An openweight grappling ‘super match’ between three-time ADCC world championship gold medalist, Gordon Ryan and former ONE Championship lightweight best, Shinya Aoki is set for an August 27. date under the promotion’s banner.
Ryan, who penned a contract with the Singapore-based ONE Championship outfit in March of this year, will make his first outing under the promotion’s banner. Per promotional president, Chatri Sityodtong at the time of Ryan’s signing, the New Jersey native is set to compete in both submission grappling matches as well as professional mixed martial arts outings in the future.
The 25-year-old Garry Tonon and John Danaher 1st. degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt holds an incredible 144-9-3 record in submission grappling, taking wins against the likes of Gio Vasquez, Pat Sabatini, Keenan Cornelius, Vagner Rocha, Roberto Abreu, Craig Jones, Ralek Gracie, Josh Barnett, Marcus Almeida, Rousimar Palhares, Bo Nickal, and Pat Downey to name a few.
A three-time winner at the ADCC world championships, the Monroe Township-born grappler has also scored gold medals, three, in fact at the World No-Gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu championships, as well as two gold medals in 2018 at the Pan No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu championships.
For Aoki, the veteran Japanese-born standout nabbed his stunning thirty-first professional submission win in mixed martial arts in April at ONE on TNT 4 — submitting fellow former lightweight titleholder, Eduard Folayang with an opening round armbar.
Aoki was initially scheduled to meet with UFC welterweight alum, Sage Northcutt in the youngster’s long-awaited return from a devastating loss to Cosmo Alexandre in his ONE Championship debut, however, Northcutt was forced to withdraw as he deals with health effects following a positive COVID-19 test result.
The aforementioned, Sityodtong confirmed the submission grappling ‘super match’ between Ryan and Aoki on his official Twitter account this afternoon.
“BREAKING NEWS: Gordon Ryan will make his debut in ONE Championship against Shinya Aoki in an openweight grappling super match on August 27!“
A renowned submission grappler, from Aoki’s stunning thirty-one submission successes, he’s managed to take wins over the likes of Clay French, Joachim Hansen (x2), Eddie Alvarez, Misuto Hirota, Tatsuya Kawajiri, Rich Clementi, as well as the aforenoted, Folayang.