Karen Ghazaryan

MMA Strawweight MMA (approximately 125 lbs / 56.7 kg)

The 25-year-old Armenian Karen Ghazaryan is a rising strawweight talent in ONE Championship who, after a surprise knockout victory in his debut, passed a fierce test and is now preparing for a crucial fight against Lee Seung Cheol.

Profile

The story

Karen Ghazaryan was born on June 5, 2001, in Gavar, a city in Armenia’s Gegharkunik region. He built his amateur and early professional MMA record through regional organizations in the former Soviet sphere, including tournaments such as NAIZA FC in Central Asia, before joining Shahmuradyan Fight Club, his current home base in Armenia. His overall professional MMA record stands at 6 wins and 1 loss, with five victories by knockout or TKO and one submission win.

Ghazaryan signed with ONE Championship and made an impression in his debut. At ONE Fight Night 42, he suffered his first setback in the organization: he was stopped in the first round by a rear-naked choke from Hiroba Minowa, ending his undefeated run in ONE. However, he bounced back shortly afterward at ONE Fight Night 44 on June 26, 2026, with a dominant first-round TKO victory over Hisashi Ezaki. This brought his ONE record to 1-1.

His next test is scheduled for ONE Fight Night 48 on October 2 or 3, 2026, at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, against South Korean Lee Seung Cheol. The fight is important for both fighters’ positioning in the strawweight rankings.

In the ring

Fighting style

Ghazaryan is an explosive, attack-oriented MMA fighter with clear power in his hands. His high KO/TKO ratio points to a style that relies on aggressive striking exchanges and quickly capitalizing on openings. His only loss by submission shows that defending against ground work and specialized grapplers is an important area for development.

Results

Performance

Overall MMA record of 6 wins and 1 loss (5 KO/TKO wins and 1 submission win); ONE Championship record of 1 win and 1 loss; TKO victory over Hisashi Ezaki at ONE Fight Night 44 (June 26, 2026); regional wins in Central Asian and Caucasian MMA circuits, including NAIZA FC, before his time in ONE.

Over the years

Timeline

5 June 2001: born in Gavar, Gegharkunik, Armenia

Early career: builds an undefeated amateur and regional reputation in the Caucasus and Central Asia

After that: joins Shahmuradyan Fight Club in Armenia

ONE Championship debut: wins his first ONE bout

ONE Fight Night 42: loses via rear-naked choke in the first round to Hiroba Minowa

26 June 2026: wins via first-round TKO against Hisashi Ezaki at ONE Fight Night 44

2 or 3 October 2026 (scheduled): faces Lee Seung Cheol at ONE Fight Night 48 at Lumpinee Stadium, Bangkok

Influence

Legacy

Ghazaryan is part of a small but growing group of Armenian fighters trying to establish themselves internationally through ONE Championship. His legacy is still largely unwritten; for now, he is mainly regarded as a promising, hard-hitting strawweight talent who showed resilience after adversity.