Superbon On Who Takes ONE SAMURAI 4 Semifinals

ONE featherweight kickboxing champion Superbon will learn his next title challenger when the ONE SAMURAI tournament semifinals play out October 17 at Tokyo's Ariake Arena.

Armenian veteran Marat Grigorian meets China's Luo Chao in one bracket, while Japan's Masaaki Noiri faces unbeaten Iranian Mohammad Siasarani in the other, BJPenn.com reports. Siasarani advanced by finishing Kaito Ono; Luo reached the semis on a decision over Kosuke Takagi. The tournament winner gets a crack at Superbon's strap.

Superbon Picks Grigorian And Noiri For Final

Superbon told the outlet he expects Grigorian to handle his side of the bracket, calling the Noiri-Siasarani semifinal a coin flip. "I think Marat takes his match. The other semifinal is a tough one to call — it's pure 50-50," he said. "But if I had to pick, fighting on home turf gives Noiri a slight edge to pull off the win."

Either outcome carries weight for Superbon's résumé. A Grigorian victory sets up a fourth meeting between the rivals — Grigorian knocked Superbon out in 29 seconds back in 2018, but Superbon answered with consecutive decision wins at ONE X and ONE Friday Fights 58. A Noiri triumph gives the Japanese contender a rematch after dropping his November title bid at ONE 173.

Superbon acknowledged the fan scrutiny that comes with public predictions. "Whenever I make a call, people just love to grill me," he said. The semifinals stream live from Tokyo on October 17.

Reported via:

• BJPenn — Superbon’s next title defense takes shape at ONE SAMURAI 4 semifinals