Marat Grigorian finally meets Kaito in featherweight kickboxing clash at ONE Samurai 1

Marat Grigorian and Kaito will finally share the same ring when they collide in a three-round featherweight kickboxing showdown at ONE Samurai 1 on April 29 at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.

The two were originally booked to meet at ONE 172 last year. Fight week changed everything. Grigorian missed the featherweight limit by 0.75 lbs. And despite his team offering a catchweight arrangement with partial purse compensation, Kaito declined and the bout collapsed.

The fallout was immediate and public. Grigorian took to social media to challenge Kaito’s willingness to compete. Kaito maintained that the weight miss — not the man’s resume — was the issue. Both fighters held their ground. The bad blood was set.

Since then, each man has taken his own road forward. Grigorian returned to the Circle at ONE 173 last November. There, he dominated Japanese debutant Rukiya Anpo with punishing body work and crisp combinations to take a unanimous decision.

The 34-year-old Hemmers Gym product carries a 69-14 record and six ONE Championship victories into this matchup, along with three Glory Kickboxing World Championship reigns and two shots at ONE featherweight gold.

Kaito looks to rebound as Grigorian showdown finally arrives at ONE Samurai 1

Kaito’s path since the collapsed ONE 172 booking against Marat Grigorian has been far more difficult. The Team F.O.D. standout finally made his ONE Championship debut at ONE Friday Fights 109 in May against Mohammad Siasarani, bringing 59 career wins and a notable victory over former ONE Interim Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Masaaki Noiri to the global stage.

The debut did not go to plan. Kaito struggled to manage Siasarani’s pressure and output for the better part of three rounds. He rallied in the final frame, but the damage was already done.

The Iranian took a unanimous decision, leaving the 28-year-old Japanese standout searching for answers in one of kickboxing’s most competitive divisions.

He gets a significant answer on April 29. A win over one of the most decorated kickboxers in the sport’s modern era would reset the narrative entirely and put Kaito firmly in the featherweight conversation.

For Grigorian, a statement victory keeps his pursuit of a third title shot — and a potential trilogy with undisputed ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Superbon — firmly on track.

ONE Samurai 1 also features three World Title fights, headlined by the highly anticipated rematch between Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Takeru Segawa for the ONE Interim Flyweight Kickboxing World Title.