“It’s very primal” – Alex Roberts on his desire to compete with the best in the world on the grandest stage

Australian native Alex Roberts always knew he wanted to have a career in combat sports. He said that there was something in it that just lured him towards that direction and he believes he made the right decision.

His journey has made him one of the noted Muay Thai fighters in the heavyweight division, which was punctuated when he won the WBC Heavyweight Muay Thai world title just this past October. He defeated erstwhile champion Lyndon Knowles by unanimous points.

The win paved the way for ‘The Viking’ to get noticed by ONE Championship, which signed him to be part of its roster.

In an interview with onefc.com, the Alex Roberts, 34, shared how his desire to have a career in martial arts started, saying:

“Straight away, I knew I wanted to be a fighter. I wanted to get in the ring and test myself. It’s something that is very primal – some men just have that want to compete.”

Alex Roberts takes his Muay Thai journey to a whole new level when he makes his ONE debut on December 8 at ONE Fight Night 17 on Prime Video at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

There he plunges outright in a high-stakes contest, vying for the inaugural ONE heavyweight Muay Thai world title against light heavyweight kickboxing world champion Roman Kryklia of Ukraine.

Alex Roberts said he is excited to pit his skills against an opponent like Kryklia and get the win to underscore further that he belongs with the best in the game.

ONE Fight Night 17 is available live in US primetime free of charge for those with a Prime Video subscription in North America.

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Love for action movies inspired Alex Roberts to have a career in martial arts

ONE Championship newcomer Alex Roberts said his love for big action movies like those from Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jean-Claude Van Damme stoked the interest in him to go for a career in martial arts.

He said seeing all those movie heroes do what they do best while he was growing up presented him an idea on what he could possibly become, telling onefc.com in an interview:

“I think I started pretty early watching Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jean-Claude Van Damme movies. ‘Kickboxer’ and all these sorts of things. It was just the way I grew up and the influences that I had. I watched too many action movies at a very young age, and that was exactly what I wanted to be like.”

Now at 34 years of age, ‘The Viking’ tries to become an even bigger hero in combat sports by adding the inaugural ONE heavyweight Muay Thai world title to his list of accomplishments.

He is coming off an impressive performance at the Muay Thai Grand Prix Australia event in October, where he seized the WBC Heavyweight Muay Thai world title.

It is something he looks to build on when he vies to become a ONE champion in his promotional debut at ONE Fight Night 17, where he will go up against the reigning light heavyweight kickboxing king Roman Kryklia.

The title showdown will serve as the main event for the show set to take place at the famed Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.