Marat Grigorian Sends Ruthless Warning After Mamuka Usubyan Win

Marat Grigorian strengthened his position as one of the most dangerous veterans in ONE Championship‘s featherweight kickboxing division with a dominant unanimous-decision victory over Mamuka Usubyan at The Inner Circle 25 in Bangkok.

The August 7 contest at Lumpinee Stadium saw Grigorian impose his trademark pressure across three rounds, earning his fourth consecutive victory inside ONE Championship and moving into the semifinals of the ONE SAMURAI Featherweight Kickboxing Tournament.

But the Armenian veteran’s most revealing moment came after the fight. Despite acknowledging the enormous pressure surrounding him, Grigorian insisted that his performance could have been even better and delivered an uncompromising message about his approach to every opponent.

“Doesn’t matter who we’re gonna meet. For me, everyone the same – I just need to destroy them.”

That mindset could become crucial as Grigorian moves deeper into the tournament. His next obstacle is Luo “The Handsome White Dragon” Chao, with a potential route to a much bigger prize waiting beyond the semifinal.

Marat Grigorian dominates Mamuka Usubyan

Grigorian entered the matchup with a reputation built on aggressive striking, relentless forward movement and years of elite-level kickboxing experience.

Against Usubyan, those characteristics were on full display.

The 35-year-old Hemmers Gym representative maintained pressure throughout the three-round contest and prevented his opponent from dictating the rhythm. Rather than allowing the fight to become a battle fought at long range, Grigorian repeatedly pushed forward and forced Usubyan to deal with his offensive pace.

The result was a clear unanimous decision and another important step toward tournament glory.

For Grigorian, the victory was more than another addition to his record. It demonstrated that his veteran experience and aggressive style remain highly effective in ONE’s competitive featherweight kickboxing environment.

Why Grigorian rated the performance 10 out of 10

Interestingly, Grigorian’s assessment of his performance was not based purely on what happened inside the ring.

Speaking after the event, he acknowledged the enormous mental pressure surrounding the contest and explained why simply delivering a strong performance meant so much to him.

“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.”

Grigorian also described the pressure as difficult to fully understand from the outside.

That provides important context to his post-fight comments. For an experienced fighter, physical preparation is only one part of competing at the highest level. Expectations, media attention and personal circumstances can all affect preparation and performance.

Grigorian believes that overcoming those factors while still producing a dominant performance deserves recognition.

The veteran believes he can still perform at a higher level

Despite giving himself a perfect rating, Grigorian did not suggest that he had reached his ceiling.

Instead, he immediately added that he could perform even better.

That confidence is significant heading into the semifinal stage because the tournament is becoming increasingly difficult with every victory.

At 35, Grigorian is no longer an emerging prospect trying to establish himself. He is a seasoned combat sports veteran with years of experience against elite opposition.

His motivation is therefore different from that of a younger fighter. He knows opportunities at the highest level are valuable, and the current tournament could provide one of his clearest paths toward another major achievement.

Grigorian’s ruthless mindset could be his biggest weapon

Grigorian’s statement that every opponent will receive the same treatment reveals the simplicity behind his mentality.

He is not interested in adjusting his level of aggression based on an opponent’s reputation.

Whether the opponent is an established star or a less familiar tournament participant, Grigorian intends to impose the same pressure and intensity.

That philosophy fits naturally with the Dutch-style kickboxing approach associated with his career.

The strategy relies heavily on pressure, combinations and forcing opponents to fight while moving backward. When executed effectively, it can turn a fight into a constant test of an opponent’s ability to defend, counter and maintain composure.

For Grigorian, the psychological aspect is equally important. If an opponent cannot escape the pressure, every subsequent exchange can become more difficult.

The semifinal against Luo Chao is now the priority

Grigorian’s next challenge is Luo “The Handsome White Dragon” Chao.

The semifinal represents a completely different kind of pressure from the opening tournament fight because the stakes are now obvious.

One more victory puts Grigorian closer to tournament glory and potentially brings him closer to the world championship opportunity he has been seeking.

That means his ruthless mentality will be tested against an opponent who also understands what is at stake.

The semifinal should therefore provide an important indication of whether Grigorian can maintain his pressure-heavy style against increasingly dangerous opposition.

Superbon remains the bigger prize in Grigorian’s mind

Although Grigorian is focused on winning the tournament, there is a larger goal behind his campaign.

The Armenian fighter has been pursuing a matchup with ONE featherweight kickboxing world champion Superbon for approximately two years.

That fight has remained an important ambition for Grigorian, but he insists that he is not allowing the wait to distract him.

“The only message is to win this tournament. After winning this tournament, everything will be clear.”

That statement reveals a sensible approach.

Instead of focusing exclusively on an opponent who is not currently standing across from him, Grigorian is concentrating on the tournament path immediately in front of him.

Win the tournament, and the championship conversation becomes much harder to ignore.

Why the tournament is so important for Grigorian

For an established veteran, tournaments can provide something that ordinary fights sometimes cannot: a clear competitive pathway.

Rather than waiting for rankings, matchmaking decisions or championship opportunities, Grigorian now has a straightforward objective.

• Win the semifinal.
• Reach the tournament final.
• Win the tournament.
• Strengthen his case for a championship opportunity.

That structure gives his current run a greater sense of purpose.

Every fight matters because a single defeat ends the tournament journey.

Grigorian is refusing to obsess over Superbon

Perhaps the most interesting part of Grigorian’s comments is that he appears comfortable with uncertainty.

He has waited around two years for the Superbon fight, but he insists that the opponent does not determine his motivation.

“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.”

That mindset could be beneficial in a tournament environment.

Focusing too far ahead can create problems for fighters. Looking beyond the semifinal opponent toward a potential final or championship bout can cause a fighter to overlook the immediate challenge.

Grigorian’s comments suggest he understands that every stage has to be handled independently.

Experience could become crucial as the tournament progresses

Grigorian’s experience is one of the most significant factors in his current campaign.

He is a three-time GLORY kickboxing world champion and has competed against elite strikers throughout his career.

That background gives him familiarity with high-pressure situations that many fighters do not have.

He has experienced major victories, difficult losses, championship fights and the demands that come with fighting under intense attention.

His ability to recognise pressure and still perform effectively could become increasingly valuable as the tournament reaches its decisive stages.

What makes Grigorian difficult to fight

Grigorian’s effectiveness comes from the combination of technical skill and physical pressure.

He rarely allows opponents to settle into a comfortable rhythm when his game plan is working. Instead, he constantly asks questions through forward movement and combinations.

This can force opponents into two difficult choices.

They can retreat and risk surrendering territory, or attempt to trade with Grigorian and potentially get caught in his preferred range.

Against experienced opponents, the challenge becomes even more complicated because Grigorian can change the rhythm of his attacks and exploit defensive mistakes.

His performance against Usubyan demonstrated how effectively that approach can work over three rounds.

The mental side of Grigorian’s latest victory

The comments about pressure may ultimately be just as important as the result itself.

Combat sports are often presented as purely physical contests, but fighters have to manage significant psychological demands before and during competition.

Grigorian openly acknowledged that he was dealing with media attention and personal matters outside the ring.

Rather than using those circumstances as an excuse, he framed the ability to perform despite them as part of the achievement.

That mentality can be especially valuable during a tournament, where fighters must repeatedly prepare, compete and recover while the pressure continues to increase.

What a tournament victory could mean for Grigorian

If Grigorian wins the ONE SAMURAI Featherweight Kickboxing Tournament, his position in the featherweight division would become significantly stronger.

A tournament victory would give him a clear accomplishment to point toward when seeking another major opportunity.

More importantly, it would demonstrate that he can navigate a multi-stage competition against elite opposition rather than simply win an individual bout.

That could make a future championship matchup with Superbon even more compelling.

Superbon is still the ultimate target

Grigorian’s patience regarding Superbon is understandable given how long he has wanted the matchup.

However, the tournament offers him a chance to change the circumstances surrounding that potential fight.

Instead of simply requesting a championship opportunity, he can earn greater leverage by winning the tournament.

That would create a much stronger sporting narrative: a veteran fighter survives a tournament, defeats multiple opponents and earns his shot at the champion.

For fans, that is considerably more satisfying than a championship matchup based purely on name recognition.

Prediction: Grigorian’s pressure will remain central to his tournament run

If Grigorian continues to fight with the same aggressive mentality he displayed against Usubyan, his semifinal matchup with Luo Chao should revolve around whether his pressure can once again dictate the pace.

However, tournament opponents are unlikely to give him unlimited opportunities to impose his preferred style.

As the stakes increase, tactical discipline becomes just as important as aggression.

Grigorian’s experience could therefore be decisive. He knows when to attack, how to manage pressure and what it takes to compete in major kickboxing events.

The biggest question is whether he can combine that experience with the physical intensity that has defined his recent ONE Championship run.

Conclusion: Marat Grigorian has made his objective clear

Marat Grigorian is not hiding his ambitions after his dominant victory over Mamuka Usubyan.

The 35-year-old advanced to the semifinals of the ONE SAMURAI Featherweight Kickboxing Tournament with his fourth consecutive ONE Championship victory, and his post-fight comments revealed a fighter who remains intensely motivated despite the pressure surrounding him.

His message is brutally simple: the opponent does not matter. Grigorian intends to approach everyone with the same aggressive mindset.

Now, Luo Chao stands between him and the tournament final.

Beyond that is the bigger prize: another opportunity to pursue ONE featherweight kickboxing champion Superbon, a matchup Grigorian has been seeking for roughly two years.

For now, however, Grigorian is refusing to look too far ahead. His mission is to win the tournament, and if he continues producing performances like the one against Usubyan, the Superbon conversation could become impossible to ignore.