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MMA legend Demetrious Johnson recently gave high praise to ONE light heavyweight kickboxing champion Roman Kryklia, who boasts a pair of first-round finishes in 2022.
'Mighty Mouse' appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience in October, where he and the podcast host discussed a variety of topics, including his decision to leave the UFC, his second fight with Henry Cejudo, and Ukrainian kickboxer Roman Kryklia.
'Mighty Mouse' said about Kryklia:
"There’s a kickboxer in ONE. He’s f**king massive and he’s got a f**king six-pack, he’s got good pecs, he looks like a superhero, and he’s like bop, bop, bop, high kick, uppercut, right hand. I was like ‘Oh my God, this is amazing!’ That’s one of the things I love about ONE Championship is you get the purest form of the martial art."
Kryklia has a fitting nickname – 'Spider-Man' – considering his physique. Johnson was referring to the Ukrainian's previous performance in which he finished Guto Inocente in the opening round with a vicious right cross.
Roman Kryklia vs. Iraj Azizpour at ONE 163
After securing victories in the Heavyweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix Semi-Finals, Roman Kryklia and Iraj Azizpour are set to meet for the championship on November 19.
Like the fans, ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong is particularly excited about this matchup:
“I think Roman versus Iraj is going to be a barnburner. I just sense it. I think Roman is going to come in and try to do the same thing he did to Guto. I think Roman is going to come in and try to finish Iraj in one round.”
Considering these fighters' backgrounds, it's safe to say that the upcoming Heavyweight Grand Prix Finals will be electric. Kryklia is a multiple world title winner with over 50 professional bouts under his belt. He has been doing it on the global stage dating back to 2019.
Be sure to tune in to ONE 163 on November 19 to catch Roman Kryklia and Iraj Azizpour face off in the Heavyweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix Finals, live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Check out Chatri Sityodtong's full ONE 161 post-fight presser below, via SCMP MMA:
