A striking showdown to crown a series that started a decade ago sits atop the stacked ONE Fight Night 13 card on August 4 – and ONE gold will be up for grabs when it goes down.
Featherweight kickboxing king Chingiz Allazov is hunting for redemption against old foe Marat Grigorian in the headlining bout of the thrilling spectacle, which airs live and free on Prime Video in North American primetime from the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Before two of the featherweight division’s best strikers step into action opposite one another for the first time since 2013, we look back at the journey that got them to this point.
Allazov vs. Grigorian I
The pair first crossed paths 10 years ago, when Allazov was 19 years old, and Grigorian was 22.
Both men were were hot prospects on the kickboxing scene back then, with records of 17-1 and 18-3, respectively.
The fight was highly anticipated, but it suffered an anticlimactic ending after an accidental elbow from Grigorian opened a cut over Allazov’s left eye during an exchange late in the opening round.
Unfortunately, the referee ruled that “Chinga” could not continue, so the bout was called a no contest, meaning no winner was declared.
The rematch
Given the nature of the finish from the first meeting, a rematch was swiftly booked, and it took place in the very same year.
The action went off without a hitch this time, with the pair going the full three rounds.
It was Grigorian that showed his maturity on this occasion, and the vicious left high kick that saw him drop Allazov in the second round proved enough to earn him the unanimous decision victory.
But, given that Allazov had mounted a late rally to show that he had the chops to take it to his Armenian rival, a third fight was rumored right from the end of the second meeting.
Under the same roof once again
The trilogy contest would have to wait, however, as Allazov and Grigorian both went on to forge trails of destruction across the European kickboxing scene after their rematch before being snapped up by ONE Championship.
Grigorian announced his arrival on the global stage with a crushing second-round knockout win over Russia’s Ivan Kondratev in 2020 before he added Dutch legend Andy Souwer to his list of victims the following year.
The Hemmers Gym standout mounted an unsuccessful world title challenge against then-featherweight kickboxing king Superbon Singha Mawynn in March 2022, but he returned to winning ways against Tayfun Ozcan six months later.
Allazov arrived to ONE with much fanfare four months after Grigorian’s debut win. The Azerbaijani-Belarusian powerhouse was unable to deliver on his debut against Enriko Kehl, but he returned to compete in the ONE featherweight kickboxing world grand prix in late 2021.
“Chinga” scored back-to-back opening-round finishes in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively, before besting Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong via unanimous decision in the final.
By winning the illustrious grand prix, Allazov earned a shot at Superbon’s strap, and he took full advantage when they met at ONE Fight Night 6 this past January, sending the Thai superstar to the mats three times to claim a shocking second-round TKO win and the divisional throne.
With Allazov and Grigorian now both signed to ONE and on hot runs in the promotion, it was time to put their third meeting together.
ONE Fight Night 13
Allazov vs. Grigorian III will be a momentous occasion that will play out on the grandest stage.
Both men could not be in better form going into this trilogy fight, and fans have been clamoring to see how it plays out since it was announced earlier this year.
ONE’s striking ranks have been growing exponentially over the past few years, and showdown after showdown has produced electric action.
But with the history behind this rivalry, and the length of time fans have had to wait to see this pair meet again, it’s no surprise that many have already ordained this matchup the striking fight of the year.
