“I Want The New Belt; I’m Waiting” – Roman Kryklia Seeking Triple-Crown Superstardom In 2024

Roman Kryklia has been a formidable force since entering ONE Championship in 2019, and he tightened his stronghold over the promotion’s biggest strikers by becoming a two-sport ONE World Champion this past weekend. and he’s not finished there. 

The Ukrainian star added the inaugural ONE Heavyweight Muay Thai World Title to his light heavyweight kickboxing strap when he knocked out Alex Roberts in the main event of ONE Fight Night 17 this past Saturday, 9th December. 

He bested his Aussie foe with a blistering second-round finish to assert himself at the top of the heavyweight striking roster, And though the knockout was certainly a welcomed addition to Kryklia, he wasn’t content with his performance. 

“It’s a great moment. But to stay true, I’m disappointed about what I did in the ring. I won, it was a knockout, but it wasn’t the goal that I wanted,” the two-division king said. 

“It was just one more lesson for me. It was a good lesson for my future. I’ve got no injuries; everything’s good. I should be very happy, but this is not my best fight.”

It had been four years since Kryklia last competed in 4-ounce gloves in ONE Championship, but the result back at ONE: AGE OF DRAGONS in 2019 was in the same fashion as last Saturday’s, with the Ukrainian finishing Tarik Khbabez to claim his first World Title. 

The change to the 4-ounce MMA gloves that ONE makes its fighters wear in Muay Thai was frustrating for the new two-division titleholder, and he said he’ll have to investigate the fight further before deciding what’s next.

“It was a little bit unexpectable [but] it certainly was to my advantage because I like to use my speed, I like to use punches from distance. And when I get lethargic, I can match a lot of my opponents,” Kryklia explained. 

“But today was very slow, so it was difficult to say. But we will analyze this fight with my coach and my team and see.”

Roman Kryklia has never been a combatant that likes to be comfortable, since capturing the ONE Light Heavyweight Kickboxing World Championship in his debut, everything he touches seems to turn to gold.

Not only does he have two undisputed World Title, but he also won the ONE Heavyweight Kickboxing World Grand in November 2022. As such, Krylia would like to step up and laim the strap outright in 2024.

“I want to defend my light heavyweight kickboxing title. But it’ll be more interesting for me to get the heavyweight belt in kickboxing because I’m the champion of the Grand Prix heavyweight division. I want the new belt, I’m waiting,” Kryklia said.