Bibiano open to ONE FC superfight with Aoki, but…

ONE FC bantamweight (135) champion Bibiano Fernandes and lightweight (155) champion Shinya Aoki are open to a Superfight, but not without conditions.

“It would be a great fight,” said Fernandes to Guilherme Cruz for MMA Fighting. “Everybody talks about this fight, especially in Asia. I’m here to work. I train hard to go there and fight anyone. I would fight him, I would fight anyone.”

Aoki thinks splitting the difference sounds perfect.

“If ONE FC wants me to fight Bibiano Fernandes at 145 pounds then I think that would be a very attractive fight,” said Aoki. “He is a champion and I respect him.”

“I do not want to give up my belt, but if ONE FC allows me to go to 145 pounds again for one fight before I defend my title next then I am happy to face Fernandes. Maybe he would be the best BJJ fighter I have ever faced in MMA, but Vitor Ribeiro was also a great fighter.”

However, Aoki moves pretty freely between 155 and 145, so Fernandes wants to see him come down a catchweight more.

“If they could do a catchweight, like 140 pounds, and I would fight him,” Fernandes said.

“He’s too big, has a bigger reach, so I would fight him at 140 pounds. I wouldn’t fight him at 145 pounds. At 140, I would take it right away.”