Masaaki Noiri Hid An Injury To Reach The Grigorian Final He Always Wanted
Masaaki Noiri had just booked his place in a tournament final, yet the first thing he offered the Tokyo crowd was an apology. A split-decision win, it turns out, was never going to satisfy him.
The former ONE Interim Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion edged Mohammad Siasarani over three rounds in the ONE SAMURAI Featherweight Kickboxing Tournament semifinals at ONE SAMURAI 4 on Saturday, October 17, inside Ariake Arena. He managed the distance with sharp calf kicks while the Iranian made him work for every round with crisp counters.
For a man who won interim gold by stopping Tawanchai PK Saenchai and flattened Liu “Spirit Dragon” Mengyang in the quarterfinals, a close verdict felt like unfinished business.
“This might not have been a good enough result [for me]. I know Siasarani is a very tough fighter; I couldn’t KO him. I received a lot of power from the fans, and I’m sorry I couldn’t knock him out,” Noiri said.
The reward for that grit is the matchup he has coveted since the bracket was drawn. Marat Grigorian beat Mamuka Usubyan in the quarterfinals and was sent straight to the final after Luo Chao missed weight and was disqualified.
The 33-year-old Team Vasileus star has wanted to face the Armenian for years.
“He is powerful, very strong. One of the strongest athletes. We used to be in different weight classes, and I’ve always wanted to fight him. And now, I’m going to be able to fight Marat Grigorian. I’m very happy,” Noiri said.
“He advanced without fighting, which was maybe not the best way, but now we’re here, and now we’re gonna do it.”
The Japanese star also revealed he had carried a secret into the semifinal.
“Honestly, I was injured before the fight, and during the fight I was trying to kind of hide that, but I was in a lot of pain. Marat is not the type of opponent I can fight injured. I need to be completely ready to take on a guy like him,” he said.
“The main goal was to fight Grigorian in the final of the tournament. I don’t know when that will be, but I’m ready. I’ve always wanted to fight Grigorian. It’s going to be a great fight.”
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