Japanese kickboxer Kaito Ono carries a unique weapon into his showdown with Marat Grigorian. His head coach has never competed in combat sports. He is Kaito’s father, a self-taught student of the game who built himself into a trainer from scratch.
Kaito meets Armenian striking icon Marat Grigorian in a featherweight kickboxing bout at ONE SAMURAI 1, broadcasting live via pay-per-view from Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan on Wednesday, April 29. The 28-year-old has been here before. The matchup was first booked last year before a weight dispute forced a cancellation. Now rescheduled, the father-son duo arrives with more preparation than ever.
The delay did not slow them down. Kaito’s father used every extra month to deepen his study of Grigorian, and the bond between them has only grown stronger heading into fight night.
“My dad also learned along with me. When we started, we both didn’t know much about fighting. My dad never did any martial arts. But my dad was very determined to learn so that he can help me train, and he is still my coach to this day,” he said.
“He is a very valuable voice in my corner.”
Kaito Ono’s father built a game plan one film session at a time
Kaito Ono’s preparation for Grigorian began long before this training camp. His father started studying the Armenian’s style the moment the first fight was announced and never stopped after the cancellation.
That ongoing work produced a detailed blueprint. Kaito walks into Tokyo with a game plan built on months of film study, and he backs it fully.
“Since my fight with Marat Grigorian was first announced last year, my father studied my opponent’s style extensively. Then it was cancelled, but since then, we knew we would face Grigorian some time in the future, so my dad continued to study his style relentlessly,” he said.
“We know what his strengths and weaknesses are, and my dad has made a strong game plan for me to fight him.”