Ben Tynan faces biggest test yet in Kirill Grishenko at ONE Fight Night 34

Unbeaten Canadian star Ben Tynan has defeated every fighter ONE Championship has put in front of him. But his next opponent is no pushover.

“Vanilla Thunder” takes on former ONE World Title challenger Kirill Grishenko at ONE Fight Night 34: Eersel vs. Jarvis. The heavyweight MMA collision goes down on Friday, August 1, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium.

Only two bouts into his ONE Championship career and Tynan has asserted himself with his well-versed skills on top of his undeniable charisma.

He quickly became a fan favorite after storming through Kang Ji Won in his November 2023 debut at ONE Fight Night 16. The moustached mountain man submitted the South Korean star in the third frame before ripping his shirt off mid-ring.

With his memorable debut cemented in history, the 31-year-old then knocked out Duke Didier in the first round at ONE Fight Night 21 in April 2024.

In a short space of time, he has become a man that many are talking about. Even two-weight ONE MMA World Champion Anatoly Malykhin fired a shot at him. But that could all come crumbling down should he stumble against his most experienced adversary yet.

A former ONE World Title challenger, Grishenko has fought the very best in ONE Championship, including Mauro Cerilli, Marcus Almeida, and Malykhin for the interim heavyweight MMA gold back in 2022.

More impressively, he’s the only man to defeat reigning ONE Heavyweight MMA World Champion “Reug Reug” Oumar Kane. He outworked him across two rounds before the Senegalese standout couldn’t leave the stool for the final round.

Grishenko now rides a boastful two-fight winning streak of his own. He dominated Kang across three rounds in July 2024 at ONE Fight Night 23 before dismantling Cerilli at ONE 171 this past February.

So, given his experience and arsenal, Grishenko could be the man to hand Tynan his first defeat in ONE. But if the Canadian can outlast him, the rest of his 2025 could be brighter than ever.

Why Ben Tynan has all the potential to be a future ONE World Champion

At 6-0, Ben Tynan has the MMA world on lock. All he has to do is continue to win.

The Denver, Colorado resident’s six wins have all come by stoppage, showing he’s not just another heavyweight. He’s also well equipped on the feet but even better on the ground.

His two showings so far show the level of his grappling game, as he’s able to smother his competition with a never-ending gas tank too.

Not only that, but his microphone skills have quickly won him fans. He’s captured their attention with his denim-style fight shorts and his no-nonsense attitude when calling out two-weight ONE MMA king Anatoly Malykhin.

His words are sharp, but his skills are even sharper. So if he can keep up this trajectory, it might not be long until fans around the world see Tynan as the next heavyweight MMA World Champion.