It took a while, but Marat Grigorian finally gets his chance to face Chingiz Allazov again in just over a week – and the stakes couldn’t be higher. The Armenian star will challenge his old rival for the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Title in the main event of ONE Fight Night 13, which goes down at the historic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, August 4. 

It will be the third time the two striking greats have stepped into action opposite each other and the first time in a decade. Grigorian earned his second shot at the coveted crown by taking care of business against the always dangerous Tayfun Ozcan in October 2022, and he’s fired up to meet “Chinga” again, given their paths have been set to meet for some time.

Both Marat Grigorian and Chingiz Allazov have waited a long time for this bout

They were originally slated to face off in the semifinals of the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix in January 2022, but Grigorian had to pull out due to injury. That was a tough pill to swallow for the 32-year-old, but he’s ready to grab this new chance with both hands. 

“Before, in the tournament, we were supposed to fight each other, but it didn’t happen,” Grigorian told ONE. “Many fans were disappointed. But now we’re going to fight, and the fans are very excited about it. I can’t wait. I was really disappointed when that didn’t happen. My world went down at that moment, but that’s life. It doesn’t always go how you want it. So, you must be ready to accept everything and make your opportunities count.”

Allazov went on to win the illustrious Grand Prix, earning the chance to challenge for the World Title. The same night as that emphatic victory, Grigorian came up short in his valiant challenge of then-titleholder Superbon Singha Mawynn’s throne. He bounced back well against Ozcan, though, while Allazov made the most of his shot at Superbon this past January, sending the Thai superstar to the deck three times to snatch the divisional strap.

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Now they meet to contest the World Title and add another bout to their continuing rivalry. Though this will be the third fight in their series, the score currently sits at only 1-0, given that the first meeting ended in a no-contest ruling. Grigorian came away with the win in the second fight, and since then, both men have become superstars in the kickboxing world.

Marat Grigorian lauded the evolved Chigiz Allazov looking forward to their bout

The challenger on August 4 recognizes the defending World Champion’s evolution, and he’s looking forward to taking on the best version of Allazov yet. “In that moment, we were the best upcoming fighters. From those years, we have both changed a lot. We’ve both fought against the top guys,” Grigorian said. “Now, I’m seeing he’s [gotten] much better in these last two years. He’s in his prime. He’s sharp. He’s ready. I know it will be a very hard fight, and I will be ready.”

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“He’s now doing very well, so I want to prove myself. Bring it on. I want to feel it.” ONE Fight Night 13 will be broadcast live and for free on Prime Video for fans across North America with an active Amazon subscription.