3 Bouts That Could Steal The Show At ONE SAMURAI 1

While four massive World Title fights and a plethora of martial arts superstars dominate the headlines at ONE SAMURAI 1 , the supporting cast is stacked with explosive bouts. On Wednesday, April 29, the world’s largest martial arts organization takes over Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, with a card loaded from top to bottom with athletes eager to make a definitive statement and snatch the spotlight from the marquee attractions. View this post on Instagram ONE SAMURAI 1 is shaping up to be the martial arts event of the year.

But before it gets underway, here are three high-stakes matchups that could steal the show. Kaito Ono Vs. Marat Grigorian View this post on Instagram An incredible clash of styles takes center stage when Japanese featherweight kickboxing standout Kaito Ono locks horns with Armenian striking icon Marat Grigorian , and there is genuine bad blood ready to spill over in this matchup.

Scheduled to face off at ONE 172 last year, Kaito refused to fight Grigorian after the latter missed weight by a fraction of a pound, leading to a bitter back-and-forth on social media. Now, this rivalry will finally hear the sound of the bell in Tokyo. Kaito represents a uniquely analytical approach to the striking arts.

Trained entirely by his father throughout his career, the Japanese star lives a monastic, 24-hour martial arts lifestyle. He relies on pinpoint accuracy, seamless distance management, and a highly technical guard to dismantle his opposition. View this post on Instagram He will need every ounce of that technique to neutralize the terrifying power of Grigorian.