Alex Roberts anticipates war with Roman Kryklia at ONE Fight Night 17: “Meet him in the middle”

Alex Roberts is gearing up for the defining moment of his career in ONE Championship this December 8.

The Australian debutant is set to clash with Ukrainian powerhouse Roman Kryklia for the inaugural heavyweight Muay Thai crown in the main event of ONE Fight Night 17 on Prime Video. It emanates live in U.S. primetime from the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Roberts earned a date with Kryklia after an awe-inspiring victory in October, where he claimed the WBC Heavyweight Muay Thai World Title.

Riding high on the momentum of this monumental win, the 34-year-old brute is poised to make an even greater impact.

“It has always been my goal to get to ONE Championship. Quite a few years back, I put down on the whiteboard the steps to get here,” Roberts said.

“The WBC belts were basically the stepping stones: the WBC State Title, the National, International, and then the World Title. And then after that was ONE Championship.”

The journey to the global stage of ONE Championship has been a long and arduous one for Roberts.

Reaching this pinnacle has been his top priority, and now that he’s here, “The Viking” is eager to make a strong first impression.

“I look forward to putting on a show for the crowd because I’m an entertainer, and I love getting out there and having amazing fights that people will remember forever,” he said.

Alex Roberts has a surprise for Roman Kryklia

Standing in Alex Roberts’ way is none other than Roman Kryklia, the ONE Light Heavyweight Kickboxing World Champion and the ONE Heavyweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix Champion.

Kryklia has been a dominant force in the promotion’s heavier weight classes, boasting a 5-0 record with four knockouts.

His stature in the ring, both literally and figuratively, has cast a daunting shadow over his challengers.

However, Roberts is not one to be easily intimidated.

“Kryklia is a fantastic champion. He’s an exciting, aggressive fighter. He likes to go out there and bang and hunt the finish. So, I’m going to get out there and meet him in the middle,” Roberts said.

“He is very explosive. He comes in and throws big combos. You’ve just got to really watch for that explosion. You need to be constantly moving so you don’t get hit, especially with those little gloves because it doesn’t take much.”

It won’t be easy, but Roberts is no stranger to adversity, and he believes in his ability to defy the odds.

“I think we’re both going to be looking for the finish. I think it’s going to be a fantastic fight, and I don’t anticipate it to go the five rounds,” he said.

“It’s going to be two heavyweights absolutely cracking at 100 percent. We’re going to go in there to get a finish in an amazing fight. It’s going to be one for the ages.”