Hindsight 20/20: Could Shinya Aoki Be Competitive In The UFC?

by Kelvin Hunt on Oct 6, 2009 1:00 PM EDT in News Comment 10 comments

I posted up a piece earlier this week in which Shinya Aoki believed that he was better than all the lightweight fighters in the UFC. I think some of you commented there, but I'd like to get your opinion now after watching Aoki submit Joachim Hansen at DREAM 11. If you haven't seen the fight yet, you can do so right here. Let's put it all out there though, because someone pointed out a key point in the comments section the other day.

-Both Hansen and Aoki only weighed in at 150lbs and 153 pounds respectively

-Hansen was coming off a year long layoff

So realistically, both fighters could probably fight at 145 in the WEC with no problem. However, Aoki is hellbent on calling out UFC fighters lately and of course the lowest weight class the UFC offers is 155. So did Aoki's performance at DREAM 11 add to or take away from his chances of you believing he could compete in the UFC lightweight division?

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maybe it’s me…but Aoki doesn’t look like he has any strength and the fact that Hansen was so small (his legs looked TINY) I thought was the only reason he was able to repeatedly take him down, Aoki didn’t really outmuscle him there but actually just kinda waited for his opportunity…in a cage, I think he’d have a really hard time dealing with the caliber fighters in UFC, especially the wrestlers…which is pretty much all of the top guys, like someone said, he reminds me of Nate Diaz but without the decent striking..I mean just imagine how someone like Sherk or Maynard would absolutely ‘bully’ Aoki around…and his chin doesn’t look the best, it’d be interesting…but I’d see him being a bust in the UFC

by Charles Walker on Oct 6, 2009 1:10 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Word.

Yo…I’m about to head to G-boro…yall hold it down…

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by Kelvin Hunt on Oct 6, 2009 1:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If you was gonna be out there soon I’d head over there on my lunch break, but I’ll probably come out after work, ain’t got nothing better to do

by Charles Walker on Oct 6, 2009 1:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Aoki is great at judo. That’s why he took him down. He also took down Olympic wrestler nagata.

Aoki should learn how to cut better though because he used to have more muscle at 167 years ago.

And yes he would be competitive. I wish ppl will gibve him his props already

by gunranger on Oct 6, 2009 3:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Humm...

Good question, I see all good Wrestlers not wanting to take Aoki down and just use Sprawl n’ Brawl tactic. Aoki will not take them down, I would be intrusted in his Thai boxing vs guys in the UFC. I was inpressed how Aoki closed distance on Hanson and I think he could close distance on wrestlers with ok footwork for ex. Serk, Griffin. I would be intrusted in what he does in the clinch with those guys. One thing that everyone overlooks is this, Aoki’s specialty is leg locks. Americans in General do not defend leg locks properly, so that might be Aoki’s saving grace in the UFC. But I would be more excited if Hanso joined the UFC

by EVeezy on Oct 6, 2009 1:28 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I just got to g-boro

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by Kelvin Hunt on Oct 6, 2009 3:02 PM EDT via mobile reply actions 0 recs

i see aoki complaining to american referees who won’t protect him or listen to every complain he has, he won’t have his special eddie bravo style gripping pants, and he won’t be able to lay on top of someone for 6-7 min’s like he does in 10 min opening dream rounds without being forced to stand back up for lack of progress….and aoki is very small…everytime guys come from japan they remark how much larger the americans are with the emphasis on weight cutting. look at sexyama, vanderlei and others who have all looked tiny compared to their american counterparts/weight cutting related.

Gatti. Dekkers. Pele. Aoki. Kang. Vanderlei.
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by theworldsoldestsport on Oct 6, 2009 3:24 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

Dead on.

I really do think that his lack of strength would be his undoing. We see Nate Diaz get bullied around by wrestlers, and with the cage I don’t see Aoki doing any better against guys that are cutting from 170-175lbs. The guy has some sick technique, but he’s worthless on his feet against anyone that’s seen a striking tutorial, and his weak chin/heart isn’t doing him any favors either.

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by -Neil- on Oct 6, 2009 4:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

did you watch Dream 11? The ref was standing up fights faster than american refs. As you know already the Japanese are notorious for not cutting weight I image Aoki could cut to 145 and be a serious force. And for Aoki’s physic, I compare him to Roy Nelson. He does not look like a fighter, and I think that is why he recives some hate because he is not a yoked 155’er.

by EVeezy on Oct 6, 2009 5:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

except Roy Nelson looks likes hes eaten a few Aokis.

by cauliflower_ears on Oct 7, 2009 6:33 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

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