Rukiya Anpo: “I will f*** him up” - Marat Grigorian can’t wait to get his hands on Rukiya Anpo at ONE 173

Veteran Armenian striker Marat Grigorian said he is ready to welcome Japanese star Rukiya Anpo to ONE Championship. He has issued strong fighting words, which he vowed to deliver on come fight night.

The 34-year-old Talin native will take on 'The Demolition Man' in a featured featherweight kickboxing match, part ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri on Nov. 16 at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. It will be the maiden ONE outing of Anpo since coming on board the "House of Martial Arts" after a successful run at K-1 and other promotions.

On the sidelines of the ONE 173 press conference last week, Grigorian made his intentions known against Anpo in their scheduled match, telling ONE Championship:

"I don't care. I will f*** him up. I'm very excited to be back in Japan against a big guy, a big name, a big clown. I just want to f*** him up, that's all. It will not go his way."

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Marat Grigorian, who is two-inch shorter than 5-foot-11 Anpo, is coming off an impressive second-round knockout of Moroccan Abdelali Zahidi in his last match in December 2024.

He is out to defend the existing order in the featherweight kickboxing lane against an opponent boldly looking to shake the division.

For more information and updates on ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri, follow Sportskeeda MMA and ONE Championship.

Marat Grigorian wants Rukiya Anpo to back up all his smack

That Marat Grigorian cannot wait to touch gloves against Rukiya Anpo at ONE 173 is not at all surprising considering all the smack talk the ONE Championship-debuting fighter from Japan has been dishing out.

The three-time Glory kickboxing champion shared his thoughts on the brash proclamations of Anpo, warning that the former K-1 champion should be ready to back up his talk when they collide.

Marat Grigorian told the ONE 173 press conference:

"I'm happy to be back and fighting against Anpo, it's nice, I hope he will fight as [well as] he talks."

Anpo, like Grigorian, competed at K-1 before signing with ONE Championship. He boasts of a 27-8 professional kickboxing record and is out to pile up more success in his new home.

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Edited by Himakshu Vyas