‘We Made It Happen’ – Marat Grigorian Plots Path To Tournament Gold After Big Win At The Inner Circle 25

For three rounds at The Inner Circle 25, three-time Glory Kickboxing World Champion Marat Grigorian reminded everyone exactly why he is one of the sport’s most dangerous fighters.

The Armenian delivered a striking masterclass against Russian standout Mamuka Usubyan in Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium this past Friday, August 7, officially booking his ticket into the semifinals of the ONE SAMURAI Featherweight Kickboxing Tournament.

Grigorian walked into fight week supremely confident he had the technical tools to get the job done, and that reminder came exactly as advertised on the subscriber-exclusive spectacle on live.onefc.com.

The Hemmers Gym representative relied heavily on his Dutch-style kickboxing throughout the clash, utilizing heavy punch-kick combinations, relentless forward pressure, and masterful footwork that left his foe with very few answers.

Fresh off his 71st professional triumph and a fourth successive win on the global stage, the 35-year-old took a moment to thank the fans for their unwavering support:

“Thank you very much for the support and love. I’m feeling good. I get a lot of Thai fans around the world, of course. I have a lot of support and love around the world.

“I am really happy that people appreciate that. I’m doing my best on this high level of kickboxing. I hope to see you as soon as possible.”

Satisfied as he was with the definitive result, Grigorian did not walk away completely thrilled with the approach his dance partner brought into the battle.

He had accurately predicted that the Russian would actively avoid trading with him in close quarters. Usubyan instead opted to create distance and pick his spots on the counter rather than engage in heavy exchanges.

The Armenian continued:

“It was just a little bit difficult to perform well because he was just running away. He was just here to make points. That’s what I was already thinking. The plan was to do more things, more combinations, to perform, and to show a good fight.

“But when your opponent is all the time running away, you can’t make that fight really good. I was just the one who was making the fight happen. But it is what it is. But yes, we made it happen, and we won clearly.”

Grigorian Grades His Win, Ready For What’s Next

Complaints about the pace of the fight did nothing to dampen how Marat Grigorian felt walking out victorious at The Inner Circle 25.

He left fully satisfied with what he accomplished in this high-stakes ONE SAMURAI Featherweight Kickboxing Tournament matchup, and he made it clear the moment carried weight far beyond the three rounds themselves.

The three-time Kickboxing World Champion did not hold back on just how much this particular win meant to him.

Grigorian said:

“I’m giving this a 10 [out of 10] because there is a lot of pressure, a lot of media, and a lot of private things happening in life. To stand here at this stage and deliver a big performance is already a great opportunity. The pressure is crazy – you cannot understand this feeling and pressure.

“But I can do much better. Doesn’t matter who we’re gonna meet. For me [I’m going to treat] everyone the same – I just need to destroy them. That’s all. It doesn’t matter who is in front of me.”

That focused mentality now carries him into the final four of the stacked tournament against “The Handsome White Dragon” Luo Chao, who punched his own ticket through with a win over promotional newcomer Kosuke “Unstoppable Phoenix” Takagi at ONE SAMURAI 2.

Waiting on the other side of the bracket is an equally stacked semifinal between former ONE Interim Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Masaaki Noiri and Mohammad Siasarani, both of whom advanced via first-round knockouts.

Beyond that, a win over Luo would put Grigorian one step closer to a highly anticipated fourth encounter with reigning ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Superbon. For now, though, his focus remains locked entirely on the very next man standing in his way.

He concluded:

“The only message is to win this tournament. After winning this tournament, everything will be clear. I’ve already been waiting two years for Superbon. But, you know, I don’t care. As long as I’m fighting, for me it doesn’t matter [whether I face Superbon or not].”