Marat Grigorian arrives at ONE SAMURAI 1 with a blueprint, a title target, and unfinished business against Kaito Ono

Over a year of bad blood ends on Wednesday, April 29. Marat Grigorian and Kaito Ono finally step into the ring together, and the former three-time Glory World Champion has made one thing clear: the words are done.

Marat Grigorian meets the Japanese featherweight standout in a kickboxing showdown at ONE SAMURAI 1, broadcasting live via pay-per-view from Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan on Wednesday, April 29.

Their original bout at ONE 172 in March 2025 collapsed when Grigorian missed the featherweight limit by 0.75 pounds. Kaito refused a catchweight offer, the fallout turned public, and the exchanges that followed sharpened what was already a genuine rivalry into something harder.

Now, with both men on back-to-back winning streaks, the matchup finally gets its resolution.

Grigorian has thought carefully about what was said after ONE 172. He stands behind every word, but he is also done with the talking phase entirely.

“I said what I felt I needed to say at that moment. For me, the warrior mentality means stepping up no matter what. But things are different now because we’re finally going to settle it in the ring. Words don’t matter anymore. Action does,” he said.

“It’s his home. He’ll have a lot of fans, but I don’t focus on that. The love and support I get in Japan is always incredible. It’s hard to describe it, but I can’t wait to experience that again.”

Marat Grigorian has Superbon in his sights — and a win over Kaito Ono opens the door

Marat Grigorian has studied Kaito Ono’s record, including his promotional debut loss, without dwelling on it. The Armenian is more interested in patterns than individual moments, and what he has found gives him confidence heading into Tokyo.

A dominant performance here would do more than settle a rivalry. It would put Grigorian back at the front of the queue for the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Title, currently held by Superbon, the belt that has eluded him twice.

“Once I find the openings, I know the fight will go my way. Against Rukiya Anpo, I stayed patient and waited for the right moments before breaking him down. Kaito is also tall, but he’s less powerful. I’ll adapt and take control when the time is right,” he said.

“If I dominate, there’s only one fight that makes sense: Superbon. No more questions. I’m in my prime right now. This is the moment where everything comes together.”