Three-time Glory Kickboxing World Champion Marat Grigorian learned the value of perseverance from his parents and used it as fuel for realizing his own dreams.
Grigorian was born in the agricultural town of Talin, Armenia, to a father who worked as a chef and a mother who worked as a hairdresser. Seeking better opportunities for their four children, his parents sought to move to Europe two times during his youth. Even if they had to work five to six jobs in a single day, the Grigorians kept their family together and made their dream work – and that clearly resonated with the young Marat.
Then living in Belgium, the youngster struggled to adjust to life in a new country. His father would help by introducing him to movies featuring Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, sparking his interest in martial arts. It led him to a kickboxing gym where he met new friends and discovered his passion.
After winning his first match when he was 12 years old, Grigorian continued dismantling the local competition until no one would dare fight him. Grigorian grew frustrated and wanted to hang up his gloves, but he forged ahead in pursuit of his World Title dreams. He was advised to move to Hemmers Gym in Breda, Netherlands, to find more opportunities.
The gym’s connections led to more fights against top-level competition and eventually led to matchups in the K-1 Tournament and Glory promotion. And in 2018, he knocked out future ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Superbon in just 29 seconds in the Kunlun Fight World MAX Tournament.
In 2020, the featherweight striker made his way to the global stage of ONE Championship, joining the most stacked division in the world. His perseverance has paid off so far, as he’s challenged twice for a ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Title.