ONE Championship: Chingiz Allazov wants Giorgio Petrosyan next – or could consider retirement
- Featherweight kickboxing king admits he may call it a day after a legacy defining win over Marat Grigorian in Bangkok
- Chance to avenge loss to the ‘greatest of all time’ Petrosyan could tempt pound-for-pound No 1 Allazov to hang around
The pound-for-pound No 1 kickboxer on the planet could consider hanging up his gloves after his legacy defining victory on Saturday – unless he can tempt the man considered the greatest of all time to come back to ONE Championship.
Chingiz Allazov retained his featherweight kickboxing title with a masterclass against his long-time rival Marat Grigorian in a career trilogy match-up that was 10 years in the making.
The 30-year-old Azerbaijani-Belarusian won a unanimous decision at ONE Fight Night 13 in Bangkok, and has now beaten all the biggest threats in his division after wins over Thai duo Superbon Singha Mawynn and Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong.
That leaves just one name on his hit list – Giorgio Petrosyan, who beat him via decision in Bellator five years ago. But the 37-year-old Italian-Armenian has not returned since a shocking knockout loss to Superbon in October 2021 that left him with a broken jaw.
“My category is one of the best in the world and I’ve beaten all the guys,” Allazov said backstage at Lumpinee Stadium after Saturday’s win.
“But I like dream fight, maybe one more with Giorgio Petrosyan. Inshallah, maybe we have this fight, and Inshallah, God help me, we win this fight. This is my last fight in my mind.
“I said today this is maybe my last fight. I don’t know. We go home and relax and I talk with my manager and my coach. Maybe he say ‘stop career’, then I stop career.