Marat Grigorian needed just 111 seconds to deliver a masterclass in controlled violence at ONE SAMURAI 1 last Wednesday. The three-time Glory Kickboxing World Champion flattened Japanese star Kaito Ono at the 1:51 mark of their featherweight kickboxing bout inside Tokyo's Ariake Arena—and the message was crystal clear: the Armenian powerhouse is back with a vengeance.
The finish was surgical. A pair of hooks first rocked Kaito, a former RISE Middleweight Champion and SHOOT BOXING Welterweight Champion. Then came the setup: a right hand-left hook combination that baited the 28-year-old into loading up for a counter. That's when Grigorian detonated the overhand right, sending the Japanese dynamo crashing to the canvas.
"When that overhand right landed, and he went down, it was confirmation of all my hard work," Grigorian said. "Everything I saw in camp played out exactly how I had envisioned it would be. I stayed calm. There were no emotions involved. It was just me completing the job that I came to do."
The composure inside the ring stood in stark contrast to the heat that had fueled this rivalry. The two were originally scheduled to meet at ONE 172 in March 2025, but Grigorian missed the featherweight limit by 0.75 pounds. Kaito refused to fight at a catchweight, even with partial purse compensation offered. The animosity never faded, and neither did the trash talk.
"This was the perfect way to put the rivalry to bed," Grigorian said. "There was a lot of talk, a lot of noise leading up to ONE SAMURAI 1. But in the ring, I shut everything down. It was fast, clean, and I left no doubt about the win."
For the 34-year-old Armenian, who trains at Hemmers Gym in Breda, Netherlands, the win was the culmination of over a year of waiting. And with his 70th career victory now in the books, he's already locked in on his next target: ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Superbon.
Grigorian's performance was dominant, controlled, and decisive—exactly the kind of statement that reminds the entire division why he's one of the most feared strikers in the sport. The question now is whether anyone can stop him.
