ONE 173 post-fight breakdown: Marat Grigorian makes Rukiya Anpo pay for trash-talk with a three-round beatdown

Marat Grigorian proved that it's never wise to poke the bear. Rukiya Anpo learned this lesson the hard way at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri.

'Demolition Man' talked big entering his featherweight kickboxing showdown with the Armenian icon last November 16 at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.

At the beginning, it looked like Anpo was going to back up his words and raced out firing from the opening bell. The younger Japanese fighter used crisp kicks and lateral movement to establish range.

Anpo also seemed to be doing well against Grigorian’s trademark forward pressure by landing clean combinations and circling away.

That game plan worked for the first five minutes. Well, until Grigorian shifted gears.

The Hemmers Gym legend found a way to disrupt Anpo's movement by cutting off the Circle with calculated angles.

With nowhere to go, the Osaka native was trapped near the Circle walls and was forced to deal with the fury of Grigorian's punches.

Anpo absorbed powerful jabs and body shots repeatedly, which hindered his mobility.

Each time the 30-year-old thought he had some fleeting moments to catch his breath, Grigorian was right there on his grill, throwing more bombs.

By the final round, Anpo was already drowning in deep waters.

The 34-year-old multi-time kickboxing world champion refused to slow down and landed crushing hooks and uppercuts that tested Anpo's resolve.

It appeared the Japanese striker was about to break multiple times. But to Anpo's credit, he refused to go down.

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Official result: Marat Grigorian defeats Rukiya Anpo via unanimous decision

The outcome was clear before the judges even rendered their decision. At 34 years old, Marat Grigorian hasn't lost a step. In fact, he's only gotten better.

Anpo heavily criticized Grigorian for his supposedly one-dimensional style. But once the dust settled, the Armenian legend once again proved that forward pressure, impenetrable defense, and destructive boxing remain unmatched when executed at the highest level.

Grigorian refuses to be a stepping stone at this stage of his decorated career. This statement victory erased all questions about whether he could still hang with some of the best 155-pound strikers in the world.

With Superbon now holding unified gold after his victory in the main event, another date with Grigorian is now a distinct possibility.