After a dramatic change in plans inside ONE Championship, Marat Grigorian now appears to be the leading candidate to meet rising Chinese striker Liu Mengyang in a crucial featherweight kickboxing contest later this year.
The promotion reportedly explored the possibility of matching Liu against Marat Grigorian for ONE: The Inner Circle after reigning champion Superbon was forced out with an injury close to fight night. However, discussions could not be completed quickly enough, leaving Liu with a new challenge instead.
The 23 year old Chinese contender is now preparing to battle Venezuela’s Gabriel Pereira on May 22 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok. According to reports, if Liu secures victory, ONE Championship is expected to revisit the matchup with Grigorian rather than immediately restoring Liu’s title opportunity against Superbon.
That possible direction may frustrate Grigorian, who recently delivered a statement performance in Tokyo. The Armenian veteran stopped Kaito Ono in the opening round at ONE Samurai 1 and afterward made it clear that his only focus is finally capturing ONE Championship gold.
Speaking after the knockout triumph, the 34 year old insisted he wanted the next shot at the division’s crown and warned both Superbon and Liu that he was chasing them.
Grigorian has challenged for the title on three occasions. He suffered decision defeats against Superbon in both 2022 and 2024, while also coming up short against Chingiz Allazov in 2023. Despite those setbacks, he remains one of the most dangerous names in the division and continues to push for another opportunity.
Following his latest loss to Superbon, Grigorian openly questioned the judging and claimed the Thai star benefited from competing on home soil. Since then, he has repeatedly campaigned for another chance to fight for the championship, preferably in Japan.
Liu also has reason to feel disappointed. The fast rising striker had been preparing for the biggest bout of his career before Superbon’s withdrawal suddenly changed everything less than two weeks before the scheduled contest.
The Chinese athlete reacted emotionally online after the news surfaced, accusing the champion of avoiding the fight and claiming he did not deserve to hold the belt.
Now, before any title dreams can return, Liu must first overcome Pereira in Bangkok. If he succeeds, a high stakes clash with Grigorian could soon determine the next challenger in ONE Championship’s featherweight kickboxing division.
