ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong didn’t hide his frustration with Kaito Ono’s refusal to take the Marat Grigorian fight, voicing his displeasure at the post-fight press conference.
The Armenian-Belgian fighter missed the official testing window but came in hydrated after, weighing 0.75 lbs over the contracted weight of 155 lbs.
"When a fighter wants to fight, they will fight. When a fighter is afraid of his opponent, he will find a reason not to fight. On the entire card, the biggest underdog was Kaito against Grigorian, so I'm not surprised he took the easy way out. He had the chance to fight, but declined… If the weight differential was very big, then I agree, but in this case it was literally less than half a pound. Like I said, when a fighter wants to fight, they will fight. When a fighter is scared, they find every reason not to fight. I've been in this business a long time, I've seen it every time."
Chatri also made it clear that while Ono was paid in full for the fight, he didn’t feel the payment was deserved. "I think Kaito should fight in smaller promotions," he added, underscoring his disappointment.
Whatever side you take, the tension doesn’t bode well for Kaito’s future with ONE Championship. The Shoot Boxing champion has remained active in Japan, hoping for another shot at Tyjani Beztati —an ambitious goal given GLORY's decision to abolish the lightweight division last year in favor of tournaments in other weight classes.
A decisive victory in ONE might have elevated him into the title conversation, positioning him alongside the division's top fighters, a goal he’s been vocal about.
