‘Always Locked In, Always Hungry’ – Marat Grigorian On ‘Gladiator,’ Russell Crowe, And His Hollywood Dreams
Put Marat Grigorian in front of a screen with a free afternoon, and the genre he reaches for is never far from the world he already inhabits.
The 34-year-old Armenian knockout artist returns to action against Japanese rival Kaito Ono in a heated featherweight kickboxing showdown at ONE SAMURAI 1, live from Tokyo’s Ariake Arena on Wednesday, April 29.
Before he steps back into the squared circle on the inaugural edition of ONE Championship’s new monthly event series in Japan, he sat down with onefc.com to talk about the films that have never left his watchlist.
History films. War epics. Stories of men who stood their ground when everything was on the line. For a fighter born from one of the oldest warrior nations on Earth, the pull toward this genre feels less like a preference and more like a birthright.
Grigorian, however, is careful not to lean too heavily on heritage as an explanation. What the former two-time ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Title challenger identifies is something more immediate and more personal.
He said:
“I like to watch movies – history movies or movies about wars and fighting, like from the olden days. Those kinds of films that portray the warrior mentality, fighting for your rights, and protecting your land.
“It really is the old-school way of life, and I can enjoy watching those kinds of movies on a day off.”
The warrior thread, he believes, runs through everything he does. Not because of where he was born, but because of who he is.
Grigorian does not need history to explain it. The only son of an Armenian family who relocated to Belgium under tough conditions, the kickboxing star has never been short of reasons to develop a fighting spirit entirely his own.
The Antwerp-based striker continued:
“Being the only son from an Armenian family, I think it’s quite natural for me to be a strong person or, in some ways, portray this fighting spirit or warrior blood in everything I do.
“We need to push ourselves to our limits, so it’s good to watch these movies because it keeps you motivated knowing how much more you can push yourself.”
Among the movies that have made it onto his screen more than once, Gladiator stands well above the rest.
The 2000 film, which won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor, stars Russell Crowe as Maximus Decimus Meridius, a Roman general who loses his family, his freedom, and his rank, and then fights his way back through the Colosseum on sheer force of will.
For a three-time Kickboxing World Champion, who has spent two decades pushing himself past the limits most people never approach, the appeal is not difficult to explain:
“Gladiator is my top. It’s a bit of a long movie, but it’s one of the best. The storyline, the acting, the drama, and everything about it stand out for me. I don’t want to waste too much time watching movies because I always need to train, but that’s one that I really love.
“The fighting in the movie was incredible. Warriors back then paid with their blood. And it’s nice to watch the movie when you understand the meaning of the movie. These movies never get old.”
From The Colosseum To The Ring
There is a natural postscript to Marat Grigorian’s admiration for Gladiator, and it arrived at exactly the right moment.
Russell Crowe has just stepped into a combat sports world of his own. BEAST, a 2026 MMA action drama produced in collaboration with ONE Championship, arrived in U.S. theaters on April 10. Crowe co-wrote the script and portrayed the role of Sammy, a veteran trainer who reunites with his former protege for one final World Title fight.
For someone who has watched Crowe command the Colosseum more than a couple of times, the news landed close to home:
“I’m curious about that new movie. I’ve read about it a bit, and I think I’ll check it out after my fight in Japan.
“I love Russell Crowe. He’s a great actor. His role in Gladiator was very powerful. He does great work. He really does great work. It’s very inspirational for us, for all people.”
Talking about Crowe opens a door that Grigorian is happy to walk through. The 62-year-old actor has spent decades playing men shaped by combat, roles that are difficult to manufacture.
The Armenian striker has spent two decades accumulating exactly those qualities, and a career built on the kind of forward pressure and refusal to quit that no acting class can teach. If anyone understands what it takes to portray a warrior convincingly, it is a man who has been one his entire adult life.
The idea, as it turns out, is not new:
“Starring in a movie would probably be cool. Actually, it’s one of my dreams, and my mother always pushed me toward acting when I was younger. I actually always dreamt of that as a kid.
“So yeah, if someone gives me an offer, I’ll be ready to star as a gladiator or a fighter, portraying someone who had to fight a lot to make their dreams work. I’ll be happy to take other roles, too, but it has to be something warrior-related.”
For now, the only role that matters is the one waiting for him at ONE SAMURAI 1 on Wednesday, April 29.
Kaito Ono is the opponent. Tokyo is the stage. His radar is locked on settling their heated rivalry, but when the question of Hollywood comes up, Grigorian does not hesitate for a second.
He said:
“I think I’ll be a natural [when it comes to acting]. What you see in the ring in ONE Championship, you can expect me to pull off a role with that same mindset. Always locked in, always hungry.”
