‘My Top Focus’ – Marat Grigorian Ready To Demolish Luo Chao At ONE SAMURAI 4
A coveted spot in the ONE SAMURAI Featherweight Kickboxing Tournament final is up for grabs, and three-time Glory Kickboxing World Champion Marat Grigorian is hungry to book it with another devastating show of force on the blockbuster ONE SAMURAI 4 card.
The Armenian destroyer faces “The Handsome White Dragon” Luo Chao in a crucial three-round showdown, broadcasting live from Tokyo’s iconic Ariake Arena on Saturday, October 17.
Getting past the surging Chinese star would move the 35-year-old veteran one step closer to the silver tournament belt and a potential fourth clash with reigning ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Superbon. Unsurprisingly, Grigorian is already dreaming of standing atop this stacked eight-man bracket.
Grand Prix formats are incredibly familiar territory for the Armenian, who famously knocked out Superbon in the final of the Kunlun Fight World MAX Tournament and prominently featured in the second ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix. This latest bracket, however, carries a special kind of weight.
He told onefc.com:
“Winning this tournament is my top focus right now. It’s been fun. We can see that from the quarterfinal fights. Everyone who reached the semifinal put on a show. We had knockouts and some good matches.
“But, of course, when the final comes, I am hoping that my hand will be raised. These kinds of tournaments bring out the best in me. It’s something important for my career now, and I will just be in [war mode] right until the final ends.”
Of course, before Grigorian can envision himself as the ultimate tournament victor, he must first solve the complex puzzle that is Luo. The 25-year-old Chinese fighter reached the final four on the strength of a sharp unanimous decision over Kosuke “Unstoppable Phoenix” Takagi at ONE SAMURAI 2.
As impressive as the Chinese star was that evening, Grigorian is certainly not losing any sleep over his opponent’s arsenal. The Armenian has his own meticulous way of preparing, backed by the unshakeable confidence of a warrior who has seen absolutely everything in the kickboxing realm.
He explained:
“I never watched his fights or studied his style. Why do I need to bother? I have experience. I didn’t even fully watch his fight [in the quarterfinal]. But from the little bit I watched, he’s fast and throws a lot of combinations. So, I’m not underestimating him.
“My focus is on what I bring to the table – sharpening my style, knockout power, volume, and aggression. I just need to [study him] a little bit, and I will know what I’m gonna do to him.”
Whatever subtle reads he ends up making against “The Handsome White Dragon” in the ring, his ultimate blueprint for the night is hardly a mystery. Grigorian is a pressure fighter at heart, and he fully intends to march forward.
His current four-fight winning streak includes two standout displays inside this very arena: a brutal first-round finish of Kaito at ONE SAMURAI 1 and a dominant three-round performance against Rukiya “Demolition Man” Anpo at ONE 173.
Now, he looks to make it three-for-three in the Ariake Arena and emphatically add a 72nd professional victory to his legendary resume.
Grigorian continued:
“I will stick to violence. But it also depends on his game plan. If he runs away, then maybe [this fight] will take longer. But I promise to give fans a really good fight. I will try to knock him out, and we’ll see how it goes.
“The Japanese fans love me, and I want to reward them by giving everything that I have. I will take risks. I will bring trouble for him.”
Grigorian Scouts His Potential Dance Partner In The Final
Bringing the fight to Luo Chao is the immediate task at hand, but the tournament final is never far from Marat Grigorian’s mind. Whoever waits for him there will emerge from the other side of the ONE SAMURAI 4 bracket, where former ONE Interim Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Masaaki Noiri meets surging Iranian Mohammad Siasarani.
Noiri emphatically earned his spot with a first-round knockout of “Spirit Dragon” Liu Mengyang, while the 24-year-old Iranian sensation put away Kaito with a jaw-dropping head kick in just over a minute. As the man destined to face one of them down the road, Grigorian has been paying close attention to both.
The former ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Title challenger shared:
“Siasarani is very good. He’s beaten a lot of good guys. He is clever. We’ll see what he does here against Noiri. Noiri is also pretty good, too. His style is effective, and it works for him. This one is interesting.”
Should he successfully punch his ticket to the final, the multi-time World Champion is fully prepared to face whoever emerges, promising to bring his trademark ferocity to the grand finale. Stylistically, he also has a very clear view on how that opposite semifinal could be decided.
Grigorian concluded:
“I think Noiri needs to break him. Otherwise, Siasarani will [create] distance and strike effectively. Siasarani is good at creating angles and landing shots. Noiri has good pressure and good power. When he catches someone clean, it could be finished.
“I can’t predict who wins. But I would love to face Noiri. But Siasarani is good, too. We’ll see how it goes.”
