"They say we're old, but who knows......We're still at the top, we're still doing our best to put in a good performance, and I have nothing but respect for Sitthichai! ”
At ONE Championship Tokyo on 28 January, the arch-rivals Marat and Sitthichai battled it out six times. Sitthichai, who had previously beaten Marat in the overall record, was knocked out in this matchup, and the question of Sitthichai's competitive form in recent years has been discussed again, and his opponent Marat said the opening paragraph of this article in an interview with martial arts fans. 
While Sitthichai almost dominated the world with a sweep of 70kg kickboxing, fellow superpowerhouse Marat was defeated by Sitthichai's precise control and ferocious kicks. 
Finally, after suffering four defeats, Marat defeated Sitthichai on points for the first time in 2018, and Sitthichai applauded his opponent after the referee announced the result. In recent years, ONE Championship kickboxing has taken to prominence. Especially in the 70kg** class, which has attracted the most attention, ONE has almost all of the top stars in the current line. 
After Superbon became the first Featherweight World Champion with a jaw-dropping jaw knock knock from Giorgio Petrosyan, it dawned on everyone that the world class kickboxing landscape had changed. Marat and Sitthichai couldn't be as invincible in ONE as they were before, having both lost to Superbon and Allazov, while Sitthichai struggled against Iranian rising star Mohammad Siahsarani, losing on points in three rounds. 
At this time, there are more and more voices questioning Sitthichai's state. And the sixth duel between Marat and Sitthichai was also born in this context. It didn't seem like everyone was wrong, and while Sitthichai did well in the first round, Marat's ferocious knees and punches went into the second round to destroy the erstwhile 70kg superstar. 
After the bout, martial arts fans interviewed Marat through ONE Championship. For this "lifelong enemy", Marat at this time expressed "only respect" for Sitthichai. On Marat's form, he said: "People always have something to say, there's something to complain about, Sitthichai has always been a good fighter and still is, he's still full of dangers, if people don't believe it, they can try it themselves, everything looks easy, but when you walk into the ring yourself, it's completely different. 
At the same time, although many people think that the two can already divide the current stage through this game, it can also put an end to the grievances between the two. But Marat thinks there could be a seven-way battle between them. Regarding the current pattern of featherweight kickboxing in the world and his position, Marat said: "Everyone is waiting for an opportunity, they are very young and hungry, they all want to improve themselves and be educated, but it doesn't matter who I am facing for me, I don't care, I am still hungry, I still want to be a champion, and that's what I'm aiming for now." 
Although Marat has lost against former champion Superbon and current champion Allazov, and while he may not have the advantage in terms of form, he believes he is still at the top of his game and his only goal is to challenge for the title. It has to be said that despite the current featherweight kickboxing division's prowesses and fierce competition, Marat is still a threat to anyone, especially after being the only man to knock out Sitthichai in 12 years, Marat remains the world's best heavy striker in featherweight kickboxing. 
Marat's rise to fame isn't just due to his achievements on the world stage, he also had a deep affection for China and its fans as he competed in China between 2015 and 2018. In the end, he said: I have played many games in China along the way, I have a lot of good memories here, I love my Chinese fans, they have always supported and believed in me, I am grateful to everyone, I am still here, I am still at the top, I am not over yet, I am still on the way, thank you for your love and support, I hope to meet you soon. 
Perhaps after this battle, the era of Sitthichai is really over. But for Marat, it's also a new beginning. Reading between the lines, the word he mentions the most is "summit", he has a clear goal, never wants to give up on winning the championship and is highly motivated. In the era of who the kickboxing division will be, Marat may be the biggest variable.