The highly anticipated fight between Armenian kickboxer Marat Grigorian and Japanese fighter Kaito Ono at the ONE 172 tournament, scheduled for today, March 23, has been canceled.
The reason was Grigorian exceeding the weight limit by just 350 grams, which led to his opponent refusing to proceed with the fight.
Marat Grigorian, who trains at the Hemmers Gym in the Netherlands, failed the initial weigh-in due to not meeting hydration requirements. Later, he successfully passed the hydration test, but the 350-gram excess remained. In such situations, fighters often agree to fight at a catchweight, and Grigorian even offered his opponent a 20% purse compensation. However, Kaito Ono’s team rejected all offers and refused to step into the ring.
Grigorian’s Reaction
The cancellation of the fight deeply frustrated the Armenian kickboxer. He did not hide his disappointment and harshly criticized the Japanese fighter, stating that the weight difference was insignificant and should not have been an obstacle.
"Unfortunately, I have bad news. I couldn't make weight within the limit while maintaining hydration at the OFFICIAL weigh-in time. In the morning, I weighed 69.5 kg, but I had to keep drinking water to meet the hydration requirements. As a result, I exceeded the limit by 350 grams (0.7 lbs). This meant my opponent could take 20% of my purse and decide whether to fight or not. These 350 grams were apparently too big of a difference for our 'warrior' opponent! He showed his true colors and level as a fighter by refusing to fight. My apologies for missing weight; this was the first time, and it won’t happen again. That said, I was ready to step into the ring with a 350-gram excess, but for my opponent, it was too much of a challenge. It's a shame he didn't inherit the true Japanese warrior mentality. He should take up tennis instead!" wrote Marat Grigorian on social media.
The audience at ONE 172 was also unhappy with the fight’s cancellation. This matchup was one of the most anticipated of the tournament, but it ultimately turned into a major controversy. Despite the high-quality fight card, this incident slightly overshadowed the atmosphere of the event.
Updated fight card ONE 172:
