Marat Grigorian thinks his next opponent, ONE newcomer Kaito Ono, may be fast but he doesn't pack much power.
Coming off a big second-round knockout against Abdelali Zahidi in December, the three-time GLORY Kickboxing champion will look to land his 69th career win when he welcomes Ono to martial arts' biggest global stage at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang.
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One of the most anticipated fight cards of the year, ONE 172, will emanate from the iconic Saitama Super Arena in Japan on Sunday, March 23.
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Offering some insight into his opponent, Grigorian suggested that while Ono is a speedy fighter, his power won't pose much of a threat to the Armenian knockout artist.
"He is fast, he is tall. Uses his distance very well," Grigorian told Sportskeeda MMA in an exclusive interview. "Ono has good calf kicks, good knees. He is dangerous in his own way, especially when you let him do his thing. I don’t think he has a lot of power. He is just fast."
Marat Grigorian previews upcoming bout
As far as how Marat Grigorian sees things playing out against Kaito Ono, he believes that the opening round will see him downloading information on his opponent before putting on the pressure and forcing the Japanese kickboxing ace into an all-out firefight.
"Every time, the pressure that I bring is a little bit different depending on the fighters," Grigorian said during an appearance on Masato Kobayashi's YouTube channel. "In the beginning, we will feel each other, so in the second round and third round, we can see what will happen."
Of course, Ono is no stranger to pressure. After all, he's already captured titles under the Shoot Boxing and Rise banners in his native Japan. The question is, will the bright lights of martial arts' biggest global stage prove to be too much for the debutant?
Luckily, we won't have to wait long to find out.
ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang will emanate from the Saitama Super Arena in Japan on Sunday, March 23. Head over to watch.onefc.com to learn more about how you can watch the event live.
