Roman Kryklia Makes History with KO of Alex Roberts at ONE Fight Night 17
In a historic matchup at ONE Fight Night 17, Roman Kryklia, the reigning ONE light heavyweight kickboxing world champion, aimed to add another title to his collection by challenging for the inaugural ONE heavyweight Muay Thai title at the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium. His opponent was Alex Roberts, a newcomer to ONE Championship and the current WBC heavyweight Muay Thai champion.
Right from the start, Kryklia showcased his dominance. Within the first 30 seconds of the fight, he dropped Roberts with a powerful looping right hand, making it clear that he was the force to be reckoned with. Despite the setback, Roberts quickly regained his footing and attempted to display his knockout power.
As the first round drew to a close, Roberts landed a sneaky back elbow that had Kryklia on wobbly legs. With only seconds remaining, Roberts seized the opportunity to intensify the attack. However, Kryklia managed to hold on and make it to the end of the round.
Entering the second round, Roberts was determined to continue his assault. Little did he know, Kryklia had other plans. In a stunning turn of events, Kryklia unleashed a devastating left hook that sent The Viking crashing to the canvas, knocking him out cold within the opening moments of the round.
With this remarkable victory, Roman Kryklia claimed the title of the two-sport ONE world champion, now holding heavyweight titles in both kickboxing and Muay Thai. His incredible accomplishment raises the question: could mixed martial arts be the next challenge for this Ukrainian knockout artist?
In addition to his momentous win, Kryklia was awarded a $50,000 bonus by ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong for his impressive second-round knockout. The reward serves as a testament to Kryklia’s prowess and the excitement he brought to the event.
The night was not short of other thrilling bouts. Elias Badr Barboza secured a victory against Thongpoon with a knockout from a body shot in the third round of the 132.25lbs catchweight Muay Thai match. Denis Puric delivered a knockout blow with a left hook against Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat in the second round of the 139.75lbs catchweight Muay Thai fight.
Johan Ghazali showcased his skills with a knockout victory over Edgar Tabares in the first round of the 141lb catchweight Muay Thai clash. Jacob Smith demonstrated his power by landing a knee to the body, which led to a knockout of Walter Goncalves in the first round of the flyweight Muay Thai bout.
Dmitry Menshikov showed his strength, knocking out Mouhcine Chafi with a check left hook in the first round of the lightweight Muay Thai contest. Mohamed Younes Rabah impressed the audience with a knockout victory against Saemapetch in the first round of the 151.75lbs catchweight Muay Thai match, utilizing a flying knee followed by strikes.
In the featherweight Muay Thai battle, Jo Nattawut emerged victorious over Luke Lessei by unanimous decision.
ONE Fight Night 17 witnessed numerous thrilling fights, culminating in Roman Kryklia’s historic triumph. With his exceptional skills and incredible achievements, Kryklia’s future in the combat sports world is bound to be one filled with anticipation and excitement.
