"I will give it my all" - Marat Grigorian aims for career-best display vs Kaito Ono on 'exciting' ONE 172 card in Saitama

Marat Grigorian says fans can expect a five-star display from him when he steps inside the iconic Saitama Super Arena on March 23.

That evening, the Armenian striking veteran goes toe-to-toe with Japanese newcomer Kaito Ono in a featherweight kickboxing showdown in one of many exciting fights lined up for ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang.

"I will give it my all on this card. I'm excited to test myself against him," the Hemmers Gym athlete told kickboxing icon Masato Kobayashi during an in-person interview in Tokyo, Japan.

"I'm really looking forward to facing Kaito in Saitama. It's a big match for me in Japan."

Watch his full interview with the K-1 legend below:

Marat Grigorian is no stranger to the Japanese fight fans. The 33-year-old has competed in Japan four times in the past.

In his debut in "The Land of the Rising Sun," Grigorian bagged three successive knockouts in one night on his way to a K-1 championship belt.

He finished Yoichi Yamazaki with a powerful high kick in the quarterfinal and delivered a missile-like body hook to see off Makihira Keita in the semis before using his vicious fists to knock out Jordann Pikeur inside the opening stanza of the final.

Most recently, the Breda-based athlete knocked out longtime nemesis Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong at ONE 165 in Tokyo in January last year.

Can he stay perfect in Japan when he takes to the Circle alongside Ono at ONE 172?

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Marat Grigorian says Kaito Kono has never fought an opponent of his caliber

Praise for his opposite number aside, Marat Grigorian remains supremely confident that Ono has never been tested against someone of his level.

During the same exchange with Masato, Grigorian pointed out some of Ono's strengths, but ultimately concluded that his inexperience against high-level fighters could show on fight night:

"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."

ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang is available live on pay-per-view at watch.onefc.com.