"This fight won't be easy" - Kirill Grishenko not taking things lightly against tough Kang Ji Won
Kirill Grishenko admits his upcoming fight against Kang Ji Won "won't be easy." On July 5, Grishenko looks to bounce back following defeats against three-division MMA world champion Anatoly Malykhin and Marcus Almeida.
The 32-year-old Belarusian heavyweight will face another tough test at ONE Fight Night 23, as he's been matched up against 'Mighty Warrior,' who is coming off a first-round TKO win.
Kang has a strong presence in the ONE heavyweight MMA division after establishing a 4-2 promotional record.
Heading into ONE Fight Night 23, Grishenko is preparing for a tough battle on July 5, which he described by saying this during an interview with the promotion:
"I consider him a top contender in our division, and this fight won't be easy. I'm training hard and fired up for this challenge."
ONE Fight Night 23 will take place inside the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
The upcoming event featuring Kirill Grishenko vs. Kang Ji Won can be seen live and for free by North American and Canadian viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
How does Kang Ji Won vs Kirill Grishenko affect the ONE heavyweight MMA division?
On Nov. 8, ONE Championship will travel to Atlanta, Georgia for the highly-anticipated ONE 169 event.
In the main event, three-division MMA world champion Anatoly Malykhin will defend his heavyweight throne against Senegalese powerhouse 'Reug Reug' Oumar Kane, who holds a promotional record of 5-1.
Following Malykhin vs. Kane, top contender Amir Aliakbari is expected to be next in line for a heavyweight title shot. With that said, Aliakbari could avoid an extended layoff and put his spot on the line in a number-one contender matchup.
Therefore, the winner of Kang Ji Won vs. Kirill Grishenko might be matched up against Aliakbari, which ONE hasn't confirmed.
It should be noted that Malykhin holds the responsibility of defending three world titles, so he may not face another heavyweight contender until mid-2025, assuming he defeats 'Reug Reug.'
There's also a possibility that Canadian standout Ben Tynan will face Aliakbari in a number-one contender bout later this year.