On 28 January, ONE Championship, an internationally renowned sports IP, came to a successful conclusion at ONE 165 in Japan. Featherweight kickboxing No. 2-ranked Marat Grigorian and No. 3-ranked Sitthichai "Babyface Killer" met for the sixth time in a catchweight 156.5-pound kickboxing contest. In their first five fights, Sitthichai won four and Marat won one, but neither had a knockout finish. In this fight, Marat showed more bravery than ever before, knocking out Sitthichai at 1:20 of round three, becoming the first man to knock out Sitthichai in ONE Championship.
Since the two fighters knew each other well, the tentative part was omitted, and the match was very hot from the start. Marat, as always, pressed forward and combined punches, and he also had knees behind him. Sitthichai controls the field with the high-frequency output of the leg method and the punch method. In the second round, Marat gradually found his rhythm, and after breaking through Sitthichai's leg interference, he hit a series of punches, and then clutched his neck and knee to send Sitthichai to the canvas. But the referee signaled it wasn't a knockdown, as Marat used a neck curling for a violation. But anyone with a discerning eye can see that Sitthichai has been severely injured at this moment.
Marat recalls the moment. "I won the second round and I'm very happy, I think I beat him down once, but the referee didn't count eight because I had a neckbangle. So the last round is the key to victory or defeat, and whoever wins the last round wins. For me, it's all or nothing. In the third round, Marat went all out, and at this moment Sitthichai's leg sweep was no longer able to stop Marat's pace. Marat knocked out Sitthichai with a close-quarters knee and punch and earned a US$50,000 performance bonus.
"This game is very important for me. This is a valuable asset. In six battles, we've come a long way. We've been fighting together in the arena for eight years and we're still trying to do our best. I'm so happy to knock out Sitthichai. I'm so happy in Japan, but who knows, maybe the seventh race will come. ”
Marat's performance to date in the sixth match against Sitthichai was a testament to his progress and a glimpse of his form. There are only two people ahead of him on the list: former Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Superbon Singha Mawynn and reigning Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Chingiz Allazov. It is worth mentioning that Marat has also had many encounters with these two top fighters, winning and losing each other. Just as he was able to overtake Sitthichai, it is entirely possible for Marat to surpass Superbon and Allazov through his own efforts and improvements.
Marat's dream is to become a true World Champion in the ONE featherweight kickboxing division, so he's targeting Allazov. Considering he's just challenged Allazov, it may be another fight or two before he wins the challenge again. But Marat will continue to hone himself and wait for his own opportunity.
Who would you like to see Marat play next?