Ukrainian behemoth Roman Kryklia opens up about his devastating knockout power and fighting mentality as he prepares to face undefeated Turkish knockout artist Samet Agdeve for the inaugural ONE Heavyweight
Kickboxing World Championship at ONE Fight Night 37 on 8 November in Bangkok, Thailand.
The towering 33-year-old stands at an imposing 6'7" and currently holds both the ONE Light Heavyweight Kickboxing and Heavyweight Muay Thai World Championships. Now the Dubai-based fighter seeks to become a triple champion with heavyweight kickboxing gold.
Kryklia acknowledges his scary knockout power but insists he doesn't actively hunt for finishes during fights. The Ukrainian man believes his technical superiority and defensive skills create natural opportunities for spectacular knockouts rather than forcing them recklessly.
"I have a scary knockout power. But when I go in the ring, I don't look for a knockout. It comes naturally. I have been untouchable. That's because of my technical skills. I do a lot of exercises for defense during my training sessions," Kryklia explained.
"When I do something, my goal is to make it as good as I can. I think a knockout is the best way to show it. I don't like to predict my future fights. And of course, I'm ready to make five rounds. But we'll see. "
Kryklia brings a stellar 51-7 career record and perfect 7-0 ONE record with six finishes into this historic title fight. The Ukrainian began his martial arts journey at just 6 years old and claimed the inaugural ONE Light Heavyweight Kickboxing World Championship in November 2019.
Despite his preference for knockout victories, Kryklia refuses to predict the outcome of his fights. Outside the ring, he maintains a completely different personality from his fighting persona. The Ukrainian giant embraces calmness and kindness in his daily life, but transforms into a destructive force once he steps into competition.
"My style is to separate my casual life and my life in the ring. I like to be calm and kind in life, but totally different inside the ring. I'm very calm in life. But when I come inside the ring, I destroy people," Kryklia said.
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