ONE Championship

A semifinal he never got to fight left one veteran with a front-row view of his next opponent. He came away convinced the judges got it right.

Marat Grigorian advanced to the ONE SAMURAI Featherweight Kickboxing Tournament final at ONE SAMURAI 4 on Saturday, October 17, after Luo Chao missed weight and was disqualified. The event took place at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.

That left the Armenian free to study Masaaki Noiri’s semifinal against Mohammad Siasarani. Noiri attacked the legs early and threw heavy combinations, while the 24-year-old Iranian answered with hard counters over three rounds before the Japanese star took a split decision.

He had little doubt about who earned the nod.

“Noiri put on a strong performance, but we also have to give credit to Siasarani. He came in strong, showed a lot of heart, and landed some very clean, powerful shots. There were moments when Noiri was clearly hurt, but Siasarani took some heavy shots, too,” Grigorian said.

“But I do believe Noiri deserved the victory. He pushed the pace, applied pressure, and tried to make the fight happen. Siasarani had some good moments, but I felt he was clinching and holding too much, which interrupted the action and prevented Noiri from fighting his fight.”

Marat Grigorian turns full focus to the final

The 35-year-old is riding a four-fight winning streak, capped by a unanimous decision over Mamuka Usubyan at The Inner Circle 25 in August that handed the Russian his first ONE loss. The tournament winner earns a guaranteed shot at ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Superbon, whom Grigorian has already faced three times.

Rather than dwell on how he reached the final, the Hemmers Gym standout has chosen to channel the disappointment into fuel.

“Sometimes, things don’t go the way you planned. As a professional athlete, you have to accept that and move forward. However, the most important thing is that I’m in the final now,” Grigorian said.

“All the hard work I’ve put in wasn’t for nothing. It has made me stronger, sharper, and even more motivated. My focus is on the final now. I’m ready, I’m hungry, and I have something to prove.”

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