"The beginning of my journey to the top" - Kirill Grishenko says Kang Ji Won clash will kickstart another run to ONE gold

Kirill Grishenko's mission to kickstart another run to the heavyweight gold takes off at ONE Fight Night 23 on July 5.

That evening, the Belarusian tank meets knockout machine Kang Ji Won in a key heavyweight MMA fixture that could land both men a potential shot at Anatoly Malykhin's prestigious gold.

The 32-year-old may find himself in a bit of a slump after enduring two successive finishes to Anatoly Malykhin – in their ONE interim heavyweight MMA world title contest – and Marcus Almeida, yet he remains sure that a win next month could earn him a chance to avenge his loss to Malykhin.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Kirill Grishenko noted:

"This victory will mark my return, the beginning of my journey to the top. I have a goal to become a champion, and I will definitely achieve it – you'll see!"

Despite a burning desire and confidence to end his two-match skid inside the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, the M2G and MGC representative's dance partner shares a similar desire to lay his hands on ONE gold.

The 28-year-old from South Korea, nicknamed 'Mighty Warrior' for his ability to turn opponent's lights out, has been on a comeback trail himself with statement knockouts over Paul Elliott and Mikhail Jamal Abdul-Latif in two of his past three outings.

Given the stakes and what could be on the way for either man should they leave Bangkok, Thailand, with their hand raised, don't blink an eye when this heavyweight MMA fixture gets underway at ONE Fight Night 23 in a couple of weeks.

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Kirill Grishenko 'thrilled' to cross paths with Kang Ji Won

As a fighter who's always ready to face the very best in the heavyweight MMA division, Kirill Grishenko is beyond pumped to go toe-to-toe with Kang Ji Won on July 5.

The former ONE interim heavyweight MMA world title challenger had this to say to ONE as he aims to turn the tide inside the Mecca of Muay Thai against one of the most formidable names in the weight class:

"When I was offered the fight with Kang, I was thrilled. He's a tough guy with excellent striking skills."

ONE Fight Night 23 will air live in U.S. primetime and is free to watch for North American viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.