Shinya Aoki submits John Lineker on one hour’s notice after Sage Northcutt withdraws from ONE 165 card
MMA legend Shinya Aoki was originally scheduled to face American Sage Northcutt at ONE Championship’s pay-per-view event ONE 165 today, but after a last-minute change to the lineup, the Japanese martial artist would meet John Lineker.
Northcutt had to withdraw due to “unforeseen circumstances with his cornermen”. Lineker, who stepped on the scale at 151 pounds as an unannounced replacement, took his spot.
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Northcutt posted an apology online following his withdrawal.
“I’m sorry to all my fans and to my opponent Shinya Aoki for not fighting tonight,” Northcutt wrote. “There were some last-minute visa issues with two of my coaches and they are on their way back to the US right now. ONE Championship offered to help by giving me a world champion jiu-jitsu coach for a replacement, but not having my coaches that I trained my whole camp with out there with me to compete against arguably the worlds greatest MMA submission artist of all time wasn’t going to be best for me. Thank you Chatri and ONE Championship for trying your best to make things work at the last minute. Again I apologize to Shinya and everyone that was tuning in. I know that One 165 is an incredible card with incredible world class talent that everybody will still enjoy.”
LEGEND 🥋 Shinya Aoki submits John Lineker in their openweight MMA showdown! @a_ok_i
Purchase the PPV now to catch the rest of ONE 165!#ONE165 | 🔴 Live Now
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🌍 Global PPV 👉 https://t.co/8azyYuxNG9#ONEChampionship pic.twitter.com/oClCgjxfZi— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) January 28, 2024
ONE Championship (ONE) made a historic return to Japan with ONE 165: Superlek vs. Takeru, which went down live at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo. Two World Title fights headlined the massive pay-per-view event, including a thrilling headliner between two of the best strikers on the planet.
ONE Championship, in partnership with leading premium lifestyle and luxury performance brand TUMI, presented the prestigious ONE World Title belts to the World Champions.
In the main event, Superlek Kiatmoo9 earned a hard-fought victory over former three-division K-1 World Champion Takeru Segawa to retain the ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Championship.
The Thai superstar took control from the outset with a torrent of low kicks, targeting his Japanese opponent’s lead leg. It was a relentless assault from Superlek, but Takeru displayed impressive resilience as he countered with his trademark boxing combinations.
Action progressed in the second stanza, as “The Kicking Machine” continued his onslaught, forcing Takeru to adjust his game plan. “The Natural Born Crusher” came alive in the third, as he tagged Superlek with punishing hooks to the body and head.
The final two rounds were close, and both men had their moments. However, it was Superlek who was able to maintain his powerful offensive until the final bell. All three judges scored the bout in favor of the Thai megastar to win by unanimous decision and successfully defend the gold.
In the co-main event, Kade Ruotolo retained his ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Title in a highly anticipated rematch with Norwegian star Tommy Langaker.
The 21-year-old BJJ phenom again showcased his creative transitions and positional dominance while demonstrating his ability to string together various attacks. This allowed Ruotolo to pursue a myriad of submission attempts that Langaker was forced to defend.
Ultimately, the American stayed one step ahead of his opponent on all fronts, and he was awarded a clear-cut unanimous decision victory after the 10-minute battle concluded.
Performance bonus winners: Superlek Kiatmoo9 (US$50,000), Kade Ruotolo (US$50,000), Shinya Aoki (US$50,000), Nieky Holzken (US$50,000), Marat Grigorian (US$50,000), Garry Tonon (US$50,000)
ONE 165: Superlek vs. Takeru Complete Results
Superlek Kiatmoo9 defeats Takeru Segawa via unanimous decision to retain the ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Title
Kade Ruotolo defeats Tommy Langaker via unanimous decision to retain the ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Title
Shinya Aoki defeats John Lineker via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:00 of round one (MMA – openweight)
Nieky Holzken defeats Yoshihiro Akiyama via TKO (referee stoppage – right hook) at 1:40 of round one (boxing) (special rules – catchweight 187.25 lbs)
Marat Grigorian defeats Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong via KO (left hook) at 1:20 of round three (kickboxing – catchweight 156.5 lbs)
Garry Tonon defeats Martin Nguyen via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:41 of round one (MMA – featherweight)
Ayaka Miura defeats Itsuki Hirata via unanimous decision (MMA – atomweight)
Yuya Wakamatsu defeats Danny Kingad via unanimous decision (MMA – flyweight)
Rade Opacic defeats Iraj Azizpour via unanimous decision (kickboxing – heavyweight)
Bokang Masunyane defeats Keito Yamakita via unanimous decision (MMA – strawweight)
Gustavo Balart defeats Hiroba Minowa via split decision (MMA – strawweight)
