Doha, Qatar: Behind every fighter stands a reason for what they do, whether that reason is for personal glory or for the glory of a nation. For heavyweight MMA star Kirill Grishenko, it’s a little bit of both.
Grishenko will represent his home nation of Belarus – and his family contained within its borders – when he battles Italian star Mauro Cerilli at ONE 171: Qatar on Thursday, February 20, at Doha’s Lusail Sports Arena.
Hailing from Minsk, nothing has been handed to Grishenko. Everything the former ONE Heavyweight MMA World Title challenger has, he’s earned. The son of a paramedic, fighting is the 33-year-old’s way of providing for his family.
Grishenko pours his blood, sweat, and tears into what he does day in and day out. And there’s nothing he wants more than to bring home the ONE Heavyweight MMA World Title.
"My motivation is my family, my loved ones, my team, and my goal — to win the ONE Championship belt. I want to be an example for everyone who follows me, to show that no matter the challenges we face, we must keep moving forward,” Grishenko said.
“I have a family that I must provide for. I love them, and I want them to never lack anything. I have my team that believes in me. And at the end of the day, I want that beautiful championship belt—that’s my motivation."
Grishenko grew up in Kalinkavichy in Belarus’ Gomel region. For an aspiring athlete, the Greco-Roman standout had to be bold and leave home at a young age to chase his dreams. Now he wants to lead the way so the aspiring athletes around him can do the same.
That’s why the journey to fighting on the world’s stage in the Middle East on February 20 means so much to him.
After all, there aren’t many fighters from Belarus in the all-encompassing sport as it is. He wants to be the one to lay down the blueprint, wave the flag, and spark a revolution for the next generation.
"I am incredibly proud to represent my country, my city, and my team on such a big stage as ONE 171 in Qatar. I’m sure it will be an amazing show. I will give it my all because this fight means a lot to me,” Grishenko said.
"We are not a big country, but we have always been a sporting nation. We’ve won medals in individual sports at the Olympics, World Championships, and European Championships.
“But in MMA, not many athletes have achieved great results. I wouldn’t say that we have a high level of development in this sport, but we are moving in the right direction, and I hope that soon we will hear about many top-level fighters from Belarus.”
