Marat Grigorian Carried More Than A Game Plan Into His Latest Win
Some victories are about tactics. Marat Grigorian’s latest was about surviving everything happening around him just to get to fight week at all.
The three-time Glory Kickboxing World Champion delivered a striking clinic against Russian standout Mamuka Usubyan at The Inner Circle 25, booking his ticket into the semifinals of the ONE SAMURAI Featherweight Kickboxing Tournament with a clear-cut decision win at Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium this past Friday, August 7. It marked his 71st professional victory and fourth straight on ONE Championship’s global stage.
The Armenian leaned heavily on his Dutch-style kickboxing throughout the contest, mixing heavy punch-kick combinations with relentless forward pressure and footwork that left Usubyan searching for answers all night. Grigorian had accurately predicted his opponent would avoid trading in close quarters, and Usubyan spent much of the fight creating distance rather than engaging.
“It was just a little bit difficult to perform well because he was just running away. He was just here to make points. That’s what I was already thinking,” he said.
“But when your opponent is all the time running away, you can’t make that fight really good. I was just the one who was making the fight happen. But it is what it is. But yes, we made it happen, and we won clearly.”
At 35, Grigorian does not take moments like these for granted, and he opened up about just how much pressure sat on his shoulders heading into the biggest stages of his career.
“I’m giving this a 10 out of 10 because there is a lot of pressure, a lot of media, and a lot of private things happening in life. To stand here at this stage and deliver a big performance is already a great opportunity. The pressure is crazy, you cannot understand this feeling and pressure,” he said.
Grigorian now moves on to face “The Handsome White Dragon” Luo Chao in the tournament semifinals, with the winner advancing toward a possible fourth encounter with reigning ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Superbon, a rivalry Grigorian has waited two years to settle.
“I’ve already been waiting two years for Superbon. But, you know, I don’t care. As long as I’m fighting, for me it doesn’t matter.”
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