Marat Grigorian Ready To Settle Rivalry With Kaito In Featherweight Kickboxing Showdown At ONE Samurai 1
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Unfinished business is ready to be settled when Armenian icon Marat Grigorian and Japanese standout Kaito finally collide in a three-round featherweight kickboxing showdown at ONE Samurai 1.
The long-awaited clash goes down on April 29 at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena, the stage for ONE Championship’s newest monthly blockbuster series in Japan.
The bout lands on a card with three World Title fights, headlined by the dream rematch between Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon and Takeru “Natural Born Krusher” Segawa for the ONE Interim Flyweight Kickboxing World Title.
But long before the main event bell rings, Grigorian and Kaito carry enough drama and bad blood of their own to command full attention.
The two were originally slated to meet at ONE 172 last year, in a clash that had the kickboxing world circling the date.
Everything was in place, until weigh and hydration test day changed everything. Grigorian missed the featherweight limit by 0.75 lbs, and despite his team’s offer of a catchweight bout and partial purse compensation, Kaito refused to fight him.
Taken aback by Grigorian’s failure to make weight, the 28-year-old Kaito walked away, and the bout was off.
The fallout was immediate. Grigorian took to social media, accusing Kaito of lacking the true Japanese warrior mentality and suggesting he take up tennis instead. Kaito stood firm in return, maintaining that Grigorian’s accolades commanded respect, but his actions did not.
Since then, both fighters have taken separate roads forward.
A two-time ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Title challenger with a 69-14 record and six wins in the world’s largest martial arts organization, Grigorian was not one to dwell. The Hemmers Gym standout channeled his frustration against Japanese star Rukiya “Demolition Man” Anpo at ONE 173 last November.
Despite early pressure from the hard-hitting debutant, the three-time Glory Kickboxing World Champion settled into his rhythm and dominated with his signature forward pressure and relentless combinations to take a unanimous decision.
The win reignited his pursuit of a trilogy with undisputed ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Superbon. But first, the 34-year-old veteran must settle an old grudge.
Kaito’s road was rockier. The Team F.O.D. standout finally made his promotional debut at ONE Friday Fights 109 in May against Mohammad Siasarani, bringing 59 career wins, including a victory over former ONE Interim Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Masaaki Noiri to the global stage.
However, he struggled to find his range against the Iranian’s pressure and volume. The 28-year-old rallied in the third round, but the damage was done. Siasarani took the unanimous decision, leaving Kaito with a point to prove in one of combat sports’ most stacked divisions.
Hungry for redemption, there is no more fitting opponent than one of the most decorated kickboxers on the planet.
On April 29, the Ariake Arena delivers the perfect stage to settle this dispute. As the world’s largest martial arts organization brings combat sports glory back to Japan through the ONE Samurai series, Grigorian and Kaito will finally give fans the resolution they deserve.
