“I’m a different level” - Marat Grigorian says Japanese rising star Kaito Ono has never fought an opponent of his caliber

Marat Grigorian knows Kaito Ono's game has merits, but he's confident his Japanese opponent has never faced an opponent of his level.

The Armenian superstar will face off against the Japanese phenom in a featherweight kickboxing matchup at the stacked ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang card on March 23 at the historic Saitama Super Arena.

In an interview with Masato Kobayashi, Grigorian told the Japanese kickboxing legend that he admires Ono's aggressive yet methodical style of fighting. Grigorian, however, reminded Ono that there are levels to this game.

"He’s good fighting at a distance. I don’t know what kind of fighters he’s fought in the past, but with me, I’m a different level, I think," said Grigorian.

Ono is one of the fastest-rising stars in Japan and holds an impressive 59-8 record.

The 27-year-old from Tokyo also captured titles in multiple promotions including REBELS, SHOOT BOXING, and RISE.

Marat Grigorian, however, has been on another level altogether.

The 33-year-old is one of the greatest kickboxers of the modern era, and was a three-time Glory Kickboxing world champion before joining ONE Championship in 2020.

After dominating Glory, Grigorian set on a mission to conquer the global stage at ONE Championship and quickly established his undeniable presence in the promotion.

Grigorian holds five wins in the promotion, with four victories coming by way of vicious knockout.

He also bid for ONE Championship gold but fell short against Chingiz Allazov and Superbon.

ONE 172 is available live on pay-per-view at watch.onefc.com.

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Marat Grigorian urges Kaito Ono to bring the fight in their kickboxing showdown

Marat Grigorian was never one to leave things to the judges, and he wants Kaito Ono to do the same.

In the same interview with Kobayashi, Grigorian encouraged his younger opponent to trade limb and leather with him when they square off at ONE 172 under the roof of one of the most hallowed grounds in combat sports.

"I don't like winning by points. I don't like to fight defensively. When I'm fighting, I always have this in mind - we need to give the fans a show. We need to give them what they really want. That's a real fight. This is what I want in this fight."

Check out Marat Grigorian's entire interview below: