Shinya Aoki has been in with some of the best lightweights on the planet, but he has also had some easier match-ups, the recent New Year’s Eve bout with Toshikatsu Harada being an obvious example of the latter. On Aug. 29 in Dubai , he faces an opponent who falls firmly into the former category and for once Aoki will not be fighting on home turf in either Toyko or Singapore, but travelling to an unfamiliar country where the crowd will be firmly behind his opponent. Kamal Shalorus will provide an intriguing examination of Aoki’s credentials as being one of the sport’s pound-for-pound best because the Iranian has been in with Bellator tournament winners and WEC champions and is an outstanding wrestler who will be no walkover for the current 155-pound ONE FC king. Shalorus is likely to have the Arabic fans on his side when he fights in Dubai and this title defense represents something of a step into the unknown for Aoki, who says he is leaving nothing to chance. “I will do a full eight-week camp at Evolve MMA to prepare for Kamal Shalorus, he is a strong fighter and a strong wrestler and I must be at my best if I want to beat him,” said Aoki through a translator
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Shinya Aoki is Relishing the Challenge of Facing Kamal Shalorus at ONE FC’s Dubai Debut – MMA Weekly