Chingiz Allazov reveals he almost pulled out of Marat Grigorian fight last minute

Coming into ONE Fight Night 13, Chingiz Allazov knew the importance of his first title defense.

With far more on the line than just his ONE featherweight kickboxing world championship, the titleholder could feel the weight.

The champ was also looking to protect his incredible run in ONE Championship that has seen him become the number one pound-for-pound kickboxer on the planet.

On top of that, he was doing all of this against an opponent that had beaten him in the past in Marat Grigorian, giving ‘Chinga’ revenge as a source of motivation.

When fight week finally came around, Allazov found his mindset throughout training camp went through a shift in focus.

After defeating Grigorian to prove his status as the very best in the world, the champ revealed the adversity that he had faced before even stepping foot inside the Circle.

During his post-event interviews with ONE Championship, Allazov spoke about the motivation for this fight and how personal tragedy within his family nearly called the whole thing off.

In an emotional state immediately after the fight, Chingiz Allazov gave fans some insight into what he has been battling through in the lead-up to the fight and how he maintained his focus.

“Three days before the fight, in my mind, I said maybe I won’t fight," said Allazov. "But I told myself, “No Chingiz. You’re ready for this fight. Go forward, Inshallah. God gave you this fight.” I told myself I will win this fight. I said, “Thank you Allah, thank you God for helping me on this day.”

North American viewers with an active subscription can rewatch Allazov’s incredible performance and the entire ONE Fight Night 13 card via the free replay on Prime Video.