MMA
ONE SAMURAI 4: Featherweight Kickboxing Tournament semifinal matchups revealed
ONE ChampionshipA three-time Glory Kickboxing World Champion is one win away from another shot at gold, and the road runs through a fighter who has looked sharper with every passing round.
Marat Grigorian meets “The Handsome White Dragon†Luo Chao in the ONE SAMURAI Featherweight Kickboxing Tournament semifinals when ONE SAMURAI 4 touches down inside Tokyo's Ariake Arena on Saturday, October 17.
Grigorian booked his semifinal spot with a commanding unanimous decision over Mamuka Usubyan at The Inner Circle 25 on August 7, extending his win streak to four and improving his career mark to 71-14.
Luo, meanwhile, survived a second-round setback against Kosuke Takagi at ONE SAMURAI 2 before rallying with a third-round assault that pushed his own record to 44-11.
The other half of the bracket carries its own weight that night, with Masaaki Noiri and Mohammad Siasarani meeting in the tournament's second semifinal on the same Ariake Arena card. Whoever survives that pairing will be waiting for the winner of Grigorian and Luo once the eight-man field narrows to a single finalist.
Marat Grigorian faces a stern styles test at ONE SAMURAI 4
Marat Grigorian's suffocating forward pressure and heavy hands have made him one of the hardest puzzles to solve in the division, and Luo will need every ounce of the composure he showed against Takagi to survive three rounds. Grigorian's pedigree at the elite level, including a prior run at ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World gold, gives him a slight experience edge, but Luo has already proven he can weather adversity mid-fight after his comeback in Tokyo.
The tournament winner will eventually earn a guaranteed shot at reigning ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Superbon, an incentive steep enough to sharpen both men's focus in training camp. Grigorian has challenged for that title without success, and a trip through this bracket represents his clearest path back to the conversation, while a win for Luo would instantly vault the Chinese contender into the biggest opportunity of his career.
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
Credit: Waleed Zein/AnadoluA top UFC heavyweight believes it's time for Tom Aspinall to put up or shut up when it comes to his long hiatus from competition.
Undisputed UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall remains sidelined after undergoing multiple eye surgeries stemming from his no contest at UFC 321 last year. Just minutes into his title defense against Ciryl Gane, Aspinall was unable to continue competing after getting hit with several accidental eye pokes.
Despite initial optimism that Aspinall could return to the Octagon in September, the undisputed heavyweight champion still hasn't been medically cleared to fight. UFC CEO Dana White hinted that the matchmakers are preparing to ‘move on' from Aspinall's title reign if he remains sidelined for the foreseeable future.
After Gane won the interim heavyweight title earlier this year, a timeline for a potential Aspinall vs. Gane rematch remains uncertain. In the meantime, a top heavyweight contender is becoming increasingly frustrated with Aspinall's postponed comeback.
Waldo Cortes-Acosta scorches ‘p—-‘ Tom Aspinall over long UFC absence
During his Noche UFC pre-fight press conference, Waldo Cortes-Acosta was asked about whether or not the UFC should strip Aspinall of his heavyweight title.
“Yeah, it's a lot of frustration to see the champion be like this,†Cortes-Acosta said of Aspinall.
“He knows that he needs to come back and fight with Ciryl Gane. I think he's got a p—-, and I think he'll have a long time to heal and come back to fight for the title, but this is not the champion. For me, this is not the champion.
“The champion is someone who has a problem, fixes it, and tries to come back, fights and is a warrior, not a p—-. I don't know where he is, trying to hide because he doesn't want to fight Ciryl Gane.†(h/t Bloody Elbow)
Cortes-Acosta isn't the only star fighter who is impatient with Aspinall and his team. Former two-division champion Henry Cejudo called for Aspinall to relinquish his heavyweight title to allow the division to move on.
Should the UFC strip Tom Aspinall of his title? Share your thoughts in the comments!
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
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