‘This Was My Dream’ – Roman Kryklia Fired Up For Shot At Muay Thai Gold And Two-Sport Glory
Reigning ONE Light Heavyweight Kickboxing World Champion Roman Kryklia is officially set for his shot at two-sport supremacy.
On December 8 in U.S. primetime, the Ukrainian knockout artist will square off with Australian standout Alex “The Viking” Roberts for the inaugural ONE Heavyweight Muay Thai World Title in the main event of ONE Fight Night 17 on Prime Video.
That highly anticipated matchup will go down at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, and will be Kryklia’s opportunity to add a third ONE Championship belt to his trophy case.
In addition to his light heavyweight kickboxing gold, the 32-year-old superstar also claimed a silver strap by winning the ONE Heavyweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix last year.
He recently spoke to onefc.com about what a victory over Roberts would mean:
“To be a champion in two sports and in two divisions, I think it’s the dream of every fighter in the world.”
Indeed, becoming a Muay Thai World Champion would further solidify Kryklia’s status as one of the planet’s top overall pound-for-pound strikers.
Despite his dominance in the world of kickboxing – which includes a flawless five-fight run in the world’s largest martial arts organization – some fans and pundits have questioned his ability to transition to Muay Thai.
However, Kryklia says “the art of eight limbs” is nothing new to him, as he’s been training in the sport throughout his career:
“I don’t care what people think, that I don’t have many fights in Muay Thai. I know this is a big part of my life and a big part of my training process, so we will see.”
Beyond the prestige of earning another golden belt, Kryklia says that winning the heavyweight Muay Thai crown would serve as proof of his all-around striking skills and fulfill a long-term goal.
He offered:
“I know this victory will be very special for me because it will be my first title in Muay Thai. And it’s very important for me to be the champion because I started in Muay Thai, and this was my dream at the beginning of my career.”
Kryklia Prepared For Five Tough Rounds Against Roberts
Roman Kryklia knows he’s facing one of the stiffest tests of his entire career against Alex Roberts. Massively powerful and a ruthless finisher, “The Viking” most recently became a prestigious WBC Muay Thai World Champion.
Given his foe’s talents and accomplishments, Kryklia won’t make the mistake of taking him lightly:
“You always need to be very, very careful. Especially when you have this opponent – a World Champion.”
Still, the Gridin Gym representative remains supremely confident in his own skills.
Standing at a towering 6-foot-7, Kryklia moves and strikes with shocking quickness – a key attribute that’s led to four highlight-reel knockouts in ONE. Next, he expects it to be a major factor at ONE Fight Night 17:
“I think the biggest surprise for Alex Roberts will be my speed.”
While he might be one of the world’s most feared finishers, Kryklia says he’s preparing for a lengthy war on December 8 and admits that he can’t foresee how the fight will play out.
He added:
“I don’t like to wait in the ring. I like to be very aggressive, but I am always ready for all five rounds. So nobody knows how my fight will finish, even me.”
