“My father sent me to the closest gym” - Marat Grigorian reveals the uncanny and rambunctious start to his love for kickboxing

Many fighters had interesting origin stories to their love affair with martial arts, and Marat Grigorian is no different.

The Armenian superstar is one of the greatest kickboxers of his generation, and he revealed that his start in the sport was the product of his father trying to teach him some life lessons.

In an interview with kickboxing legend Masato Kobayashi, Grigorian said he and his family were fresh off their move to Belgium when he was a kid when he struggled to adjust to his new environment.

This led to Grigorian channeling his rowdy energy with his siblings, a scenario his father didn't approve of.

"Because we moved that time to Belgium, I didn’t have any friends. I have three sisters and I was always fighting with them. And then my father sent me to the closest gym," said Marat Grigorian.

Now with an avenue to channel his uncontrollable energy, Grigorian saw a path that would eventually lead him to martial arts glory.

Grigorian eventually became a striking savant and collected multiple titles in his storied career.

The now-33-year-old was a former K-1, Kunlun, and Glory Kickboxing world champion before he arrived at ONE Championship in 2020.

Grigorian continued his ascent in the martial arts landscape on the global stage and even challenged for the ONE featherweight kickboxing world title against Chingiz Allazov and Superbon.

He now looks to continue his momentum when he faces Japanese rising star Kaito Ono in a featherweight kickboxing tiff at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang on March 23 at the historic Saitama Super Arena.

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

---

Marat Grigorian promises unparalleled pressure when he faces off against Kaito Ono

Marat Grigorian is ready to bring the fireworks when he takes on Kaito Ono in one of the most hallowed grounds of combat sports.

In the same interview with Masato Kobayashi, Grigorian said he'd force Ono to trade with him in a heart-pounding firefight that could lead into a highlight finish at ONE 172.

Grigorian said:

"Every time, the pressure that I bring is a little bit different depending on the fighters. In the beginning, we will feel each other, so in the second round and third round, we can see what will happen."

Watch Grigorian's entire interview below: