“I Don’t Anticipate It to Go the Five Rounds” – Alex Robert Breaks Down His Upcoming Battle With Roman Kryklia

Alex “The Viking” Roberts is ready for an all-out war this Friday at Bangkok’s legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.

Set to square off with reigning light heavyweight kickboxing kingpin Roman Kryklia for the inaugural ONE Heavyweight Muay Thai World Title in the main event of ONE Fight Night 17: Kryklia vs Roberts on Prime Video and live in U.S. Primetime, Roberts expects nothing less than a barnburner when he meets the towering Ukrainian.

Alex Roberts has nothing but respect for Kryklia

“The Viking” has plenty of respect for Kryklia and his prodigious knockout power, well aware that one wrong move could cost him big in this World Title showdown.

He said: “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.  

“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.”

As talented as Kryklia may be, Roberts is an accomplished and technical fighter in his own right. 

The Australian is the current WBC Muay Thai Heavyweight World Champion, and he knows he could take advantage of his foe’s (occasionally reckless) pursuit of the finish:

“The aggression is a positive, but it also definitely can be a negative because he comes in swinging. So, a lot of times, if you’re swinging a little bit loopy, you can leave yourself exposed. I’ve fought some taller guys before. I’m used to that long range. I’m just going to play the range to start with, get a feel for it, and then once I’ve got the eyes in, I will go for it.” 

Battle between two powerhouses of the division

While counter-striking might be on the menu this Friday, Roberts isn’t about to play an elusive, tit-for-tat style of game.Quite the opposite, the 34-year-old heavyweight envisions a true clash of titans with plenty of heavy leather being thrown.

Read More: A Fight of This Caliber Simply Cannot Go for Three Rounds”– Anatoly Malykhin Breaks Down Rodtang vs. Superlek Rematch

With that in mind, he says fans can expect white-knuckle action for as long as this World Title contest lasts:

“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. 

“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.”