The ONE Championship debut of former world title challenger Marat Grigorian in December 2020 at ONE: Big Bang against Ivan Kondratev was never short of drama. He overcame a big scare in the opening round to score a come-from-behind victory in the second.
This incredible comeback from Grigorian was relived by ONE Championship on Instagram as the promotion published a few highlights from that match alongside the caption:
“Marat Grigorian’s ONE Championship debut against Ivan Kondratev was a barnburner 😳 How will he fare against longtime rival Sitthichai on January 28 at ONE 165? 🥊 @maratgrigorian”
The former three-time GLORY kickboxing world champion was on the receiving end of a knockdown from his Russian opponent in the first round. Grigorian was caught off guard by a powerful right-hand counterpunch from Kondratev.
That punch dropped the Hemmers Gym representative and made him touch the canvas with his knees. It made him dazed, and Kondratev pieced him up for the rest of the round to go up in the judges’ scorecards.
However, it was a wake-up call for Grigorian because he became more composed and aggressive in the second stanza. The Armenian started to move forward and throw more punches and kicks. Additionally, Kondratev looked gassed out because of the onslaught that he launched in the previous round.
With renewed energy and a tired opponent in front of him, Grigorian targeted Vityaz Fight Club’s body until he perfectly landed a strong punch that instantly folded him.
Kondratev failed to beat the referee’s count and was unable to continue, which officially awarded Grigorian the victory.
Marat Grigorian to face long-time rival Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong for the sixth time at ONE 165
After that victory against Kondratev, Grigorian split his next four bouts into two wins and two losses in ONE Championship. He beat Andy Souwer and Tayfun Ozcan but was defeated by kickboxing royalty Superbon Singha Mawynn and Chingiz Allazov.
His next match will see him fight a very familiar opponent in Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong. They are set to cross paths once again for the sixth time in a catchweight kickboxing match on January 28 at ONE 165, which goes down inside the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.
Grigorian wants to improve his head-to-head record against the Thai star, as he currently trails 1-4 in their rivalry. ONE 165 is available on pay-per-view at watch.onefc.com.