‘I’m Prepared To Destroy Him’ – Marat Grigorian Vows To Show Mamuka Usubyan No Mercy At The Inner Circle 25
Confidence has never been in short supply for three-time Glory Kickboxing World Champion Marat Grigorian, and that self-belief shows no signs of wavering as he heads into his next test at The Inner Circle 25.
The Armenian knockout machine carries that same conviction into the first round of the eight-man ONE SAMURAI Featherweight Kickboxing Tournament against Russian standout Mamuka Usubyan.
Their clash will be part of several exciting matchups on the Asia primetime spectacle inside Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium, which will broadcast live exclusively to subscribers at live.onefc.com.
Grigorian arrives on the back of a three-fight winning streak. Two of those victories ended in highlight-reel fashion, first against Abdelali “Black Diamond” Zahidi, then against Kaito at ONE SAMURAI 1 this past April in Tokyo.
Sandwiched between those finishes was a hard-fought win over Rukiya “Demolition Man” Anpo at ONE 173, a rivalry that carried its own share of fireworks.
Leading into each of those fights, the Hemmers Gym standout spoke with the same unwavering self-belief he carries into this one.
He said:
“I’m really prepared to destroy him. I will break him mentally and physically. When I step in the ring, I want to fight. I want to hurt my opponent. I want to give everything I can possibly give.
“I’m always confident in myself because I know what I bring to the table. I always work hard for my fights. It’s just the mentality that I have. I’m fearless, and I love fighting.”
Bold as his words are, Grigorian has done his homework on the man who will stand across from him inside the mecca of Muay Thai this week.
Usubyan enters this matchup riding a seven-fight winning streak that stretches back to 2023, a run that includes a perfect 4-0 run on the global stage against Rajadamnern Stadium Muay Thai World Champions Shadow Mavinn and Khunsuek Superbon Training Camp, and ISKA Kickboxing World Champion Enzo Kartoum.
None of those credentials, however, have changed his read on how this fight unfolds:
“He’s a good fighter. He’s doing very well. He has good power and good moves. But whenever anyone shares the ring with me, including him, they’d just prefer to get points. I think he will want to play it safe.
“Also, I don’t think he has enough firepower inside the pocket. I’ve noticed that he can’t handle pressure. He starts running away, going backward, and makes big mistakes whenever he faces pressure.”
Should the Russian choose to pick his shots from range rather than engage, Grigorian is fully prepared to bring the kind of unbridled aggression and power that has defined his 70-win career.
He stops short of guaranteeing a finish, but there is little doubt in his mind about which direction this fight is heading.
The multi-time World Champion continued:
“I won’t predict, but I’m ready for both [a win on the scorecards or a knockout]. If he’s ready to fire and trade, then it will be a nasty fight and a very interesting one.
“But a knockout will always be nice. I will go through him with my power and pressure. I’ll hunt him with a lot of punches. He has never faced someone like me – this kind of power, level, and skill.”
Grigorian Chasing Tournament Glory
Beyond the personal stakes of the matchup itself, stepping into a stacked eight-man tournament is a format that holds a special place in Marat Grigorian’s heart. It is nothing new for the Armenian powerhouse, either.
Most notably, the Hemmers Gym athlete knocked out future ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Superbon in just 29 seconds during the final of the Kunlun Fight World MAX Tournament in 2018. He was also part of the second edition of the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix.
That history clearly still fuels him heading into this latest chapter:
“I’m very happy to be part of this. It’s a beautiful tournament with a lot of talented guys. I love these tournament-style formats.
“These kinda competitions are a large part of why I fell in love with the sport – from being a fan to a fighter who participated in a few tournaments. For this one, I really want to win it.”
Besides his quarterfinal clash against Mamuka Usubyan, the ONE SAMURAI Featherweight Kickboxing Tournament features three intriguing bouts – Liu “Spirit Dragon” Mengyang vs. Masaaki Noiri, Kaito vs. Mohammad Siasarani, and Kosuke “Unstoppable Phoenix” Takagi vs. Luo Chao.
Grigorian expects each one of those battles to be just as intense as his own, and he is well aware that the tournament’s eventual winner will earn a shot at Superbon’s gold.
That incentive is not what is driving him this time around, though.
He pointed out:
“I don’t really care about facing Superbon anymore. Now, the goal is to put on good fights every time I’m in the ring and win this tournament – that’s the most important thing for me right now.”
