‘Happy To Be Back’ – Marat Grigorian Reflects On Knockout Win At ONE Friday Fights 92
ONE Friday Fights 92: Sitthichai vs. Shadow saw kickboxing legend Marat Grigorian bounce back to the win column in dominant fashion.
Last Fridy, December 20, the Armenian superstar scored a devastating second-round knockout over young Moroccan phenom Abdelali “Black Diamond” Zahidi in their showdown at the world-famous Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand,
It was the 68th victory of Grigorian’s decorated career and came eight months after his unsuccessful bid for the ONE Interim Featherweight Kickboxing World Title against longtime rival Superbon.
After his impressive performance, the veteran striker spoke to onefc.com and admitted that he didn’t expect Zahidi – a talented rising star with a bright future – to take the fight at this point in his career:
“I was happy to be back in the ring. I was just happy to fight against Zahidi. I was a bit surprised that he accepted the fight.”
With the win, the 33-year-old remains in the hunt for 26 pounds of ONE Championship gold.
He was quick to credit “Black Diamond” for fighting gamely from start to finish, and above all, he was pleased to compete one more time in 2024:
“[Zahidi] did a good job. You know, he did a good job.
“It was a little bit short notice for me, this fight. It was really last minute, but I accepted the fight. As a fighter, you need to be always ready. And yes, I’m happy that I took the fight. I got the chance to fight again, so it was good.”
A former three-time Glory Kickboxing World Champion renowned for his ruthless punching power and granite jaw, Grigorian has done plenty to solidify himself as one of the sport’s most beloved knockout artists.
In the wake of his latest victory, he thanked his many legions of fans for their endless support:
“For my fans, thank you. All around the world, I always get so much love and support around the world. Thank you for following me. Thank you for always sending me nice things, and I hope to be back as soon as possible.”
Grigorian Targets Liu Mengyang Next
Moving forward, Marat Grigorian hopes to continue testing himself against the best strikers on the planet.
But with interim featherweight kickboxing king Superbon expected to fight for the undisputed gold next, Grigorian will need to face a hungry contender in the meantime.
One opponent he’s eyeing is all-action Chinese scrapper “Spirit Dragon” Liu Mengyang, who debuted with an upset win over Japanese superstar Masaaki Noiri at ONE Friday Fights 92:
“I saw that [Liu Mengyang] beat Noiri. So maybe [I’d face] him, I don’t know. Who else? So maybe I am going to fight against him.”
Given his scintillating performance against Noiri, it appears Liu would give Grigorian all he could handle.
But ultimately, the Armenian is focused entirely on winning a coveted ONE World Title, no matter the path he takes to get there.
Grigorian added:
“That’s the goal, that’s the mindset, you know? I’m aiming to be the World Champion.”
