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Roman Kryklia

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Roman Kryklia
Born
Roman Olegovich Kryklia

(1991-10-11) October 11, 1991 (age 35)
Krasnohrad, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukrainian SSR
OccupationKickboxer
Years active2012–present
Known forFirst-ever and reigning ONE Light Heavyweight Kickboxing World Champion; ONE Heavyweight Muay Thai World Champion

Roman Olegovich Kryklia (Ukrainian: Роман Олегович Крикля; born October 11, 1991) is a Ukrainian heavyweight kickboxer currently signed with ONE Championship, where he competes in both the Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight divisions. He holds the distinction of being the first-ever and reigning ONE Light Heavyweight Kickboxing World Champion as well as the ONE Heavyweight Muay Thai World Champion.

Kryklia finished as the runner-up in the 2015 SUPERKOMBAT World Grand Prix and claimed tournament victories at Kunlun Fight 80 in 2019 and the K-1 World GP 2016 Belgrade event.

By late 2022, Combat Press ranked him third globally among heavyweight kickboxers, while Beyond Kickboxing placed him fourth. As of December 2023, he was ranked number one in the WBC Muay Thai heavyweight category. His notable triumphs include multiple wins over Iraj Azizpour, along with victories against Guto Inocente, Murat Aygun, Andrei Stoica, Tarik Khbabez, Rade Opačić, Nordine Mahieddine, Fabio Kwasi, Jahfarr Wilnis, and Sergej Maslobojev.

Early life

Born in Krasnohrad, Kharkiv Oblast during the final years of the Ukrainian SSR, Roman Kryklia began his martial arts training at six years old at the "Burovik" sports club under coach Valentin Nikolaevich Kozhushko. Early on, he competed in Ukrainian Kenpokai Karate and Kickboxing tournaments, earning multiple medals for his performances.

In 2008, Kryklia secured the youth kickboxing championship title of Ukraine in Lutsk and was awarded the Master of Sports designation. He later trained at Kharkiv’s "Maximus" club with coaches Maxim Nikolaevich Kiyko and Victor Nikolaevich Demchenko. While attending Kharkiv National Automobile and Highway University, he represented his institution in national university-level kickboxing championships from 2012 through 2015, consistently finishing first. Additionally, he earned a silver medal in amateur Thai Boxing at the Ukrainian national level in 2010.

Early career

Kryklia made his professional debut in October 2012 against Tomáš Možný at Nitrianska noc bojovníkov, winning by decision. Over his following seven bouts, he amassed a record of four wins and three losses. In January 2015, he captured the Yangame's Fight Night 2 light heavyweight tournament title by defeating Jiří Stariat and Radovan Kulla.

After this tournament success, Kryklia won three out of four subsequent fights, including significant victories over Igor Mihaljević and Sergej Maslobojev. He then took part in the 2015 Tatneft Cup heavyweight competition, where he scored knockout wins against Claudiu Istrate in the semifinals and Daniel Lentie in the final match.

SUPERKOMBAT Fighting Championship

Shortly thereafter, Kryklia joined Europe's premier kickboxing organization, SUPERKOMBAT, to compete in their Heavyweight Grand Prix. He earned a unanimous decision victory over Ivan Pavle in the semifinals but was defeated by Tarik Khbabez via decision in the final round.

Following this event, Kryklia embarked on an impressive thirteen-fight winning streak that began with decision victories against Konstantin Gluhov and Jahfarr Wilnis. In June 2016, he triumphed at the A1 WGP qualification tournament by knocking out Thomas Vanneste during the semifinals and causing Daniel Lentie to withdraw from the final bout. Kryklia then defeated Lentie again by decision during the A1 Grand Prix semifinals before capturing the tournament championship with a first-round TKO over Arnold Oborotov.

K-1

Two weeks afterward, Kryklia participated in the 2016 K-1 Europe heavyweight competition, emerging victorious in all three bouts. He secured knee strike knockouts in the quarterfinals against Bahrudin Mahmić, the semifinals facing Atha Kasapis, and the finals versus Fabio Kwasi. Kryklia concluded 2016 by earning a majority decision win over Stéphane Susperregui at Nuit des Champions.

Kunlun Fight

During the Monte Carlo Fighting Masters event, Kryklia captured both the Prince Albert's Cup and the Monte Carlo FM heavyweight championship when Fabrice Aurieng's corner halted the contest in the second round.

In December 2017, Kryklia took part in the Kunlun Fight heavyweight tournament at KLF 68. He recorded a first-round TKO against Ning Tianshuai in the quarterfinals and followed with a unanimous decision victory over Felipe Micheletti in the semifinals. Despite being favored, he was defeated by Iraj Azizpour via an extra round decision in the final.

Kryklia won by decision against Yuksel Ayaydin during Ayaydin's retirement fight at MFC 7. Subsequently, he claimed the WAKO World heavyweight title by knocking out Daniel Svkor in the second round.

In the 2018 FEA World Grand Prix semifinals, Kryklia triumphed in a rubber match against Tomáš Hron through a unanimous decision and overcame Tsotne Rogava after an additional round to secure the heavyweight tournament championship.

At Kunlun Fight 80, Kryklia progressed through the KLF heavyweight tournament by defeating Martin Pacas via unanimous decision and stopping Rade Opacic with a second-round TKO. He then avenged his previous loss to Azizpour by winning unanimously in the finals.

ONE Kickboxing Light Heavyweight Champion

On November 16, 2019, Roman Kryklia earned the inaugural ONE Light Heavyweight Kickboxing World Championship by defeating Tarik Khbabez through TKO.

Kryklia was scheduled to defend his title against Andrei Stoica at ONE Infinity 1, but this bout was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A subsequent title defense was planned against Murat Aygün at ONE Championship: Big Bang on December 4, 2020; however, it was canceled after one of Kryklia’s corner staff tested positive for COVID-19.

Later, Kryklia faced Andrei Stoica, who accepted a short-notice challenge, at ONE Championship: Collision Course. Kryklia controlled the fight throughout and won by unanimous decision.

For his second title defense, Kryklia was booked to fight Aygün at ONE Championship: NextGen on October 29, 2021. After Aygün withdrew, Kryklia was set to compete against Iraj Azizpour for the inaugural ONE Kickboxing Heavyweight World Title but pulled out due to medical reasons.

The bout between Kryklia and Aygün was rescheduled for January 14, 2022, at ONE: Heavy Hitters, then postponed again to ONE: Full Circle on February 25, 2022. Kryklia retained his light heavyweight crown with a first-round knockout victory.

ONE Kickboxing Heavyweight Grand Prix

During the semifinals of the ONE Heavyweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix Tournament at ONE 161 on September 29, 2022, Kryklia took on Guto Inocente. He achieved a knockout victory in the first round, flooring Inocente twice before the one-minute mark, which led the referee to halt the contest.

In the tournament final at ONE 163 on November 18, 2022, Kryklia met Iraj Azizpour for their third encounter. Although he was knocked down early in the first round, Kryklia responded with a knockout in the second round, securing the Grand Prix championship.

Ongoing title defense

Kryklia was set to make his third defense of the ONE Light Heavyweight Kickboxing World Championship against Françesko Xhaja at ONE Fight Night 12 on July 14, 2023. Nevertheless, this matchup was deferred following an undisclosed injury announcement on June 30.

Dual championship status

Kryklia contested Alex Roberts for the inaugural ONE Heavyweight Muay Thai World Championship during ONE Fight Night 17 on December 9, 2023. He claimed the belt with a knockout in the second round.

In his initial defense of the heavyweight Muay Thai title, Kryklia defeated Lyndon Knowles by first-round knockout at ONE Fight Night 30 on April 5, 2025, which also earned him a $50,000 Performance of the Night award.

Doping suspension

On April 18, 2018, Kryklia received a four-year suspension from the National Anti-Doping Agency of France after testing positive for meldonium and clenbuterol ahead of Nuit des Champions 2016. Consequently, his victory over Stéphane Susperregui was changed to a no contest.

Titles and accomplishments

  • ONE Championship
    • Current holder of the 2019 ONE Light Heavyweight Kickboxing World Championship
      • Successfully defended twice
    • Winner of the 2022 ONE Heavyweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix Tournament
    • Current champion of the 2023 ONE Heavyweight Muay Thai World Championship
      • One successful title defense
    • Awarded Performance of the Night five times (against Murat Aygün, Guto Inocente, Iraj Azizpour, Alex Roberts, Lyndon Knowles)
    • Named 2022 Kickboxing Fighter of the Year
    • Earned 2022 Kickboxing Knockout of the Year (vs. Iraj Azizpour)
    • Received 2022 Kickboxing Fight of the Year honors (vs. Iraj Azizpour at ONE 163)
  • Kunlun Fight
    • Champion of the 2019 Super Heavyweight Tournament
  • Monte Carlo Fighting Masters
    • Heavyweight Champion +94.2 kg in 2017
    • Recipient of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco's Cup +94.2 kg in 2017
  • Combat Press
    • Nominated for Fighter of the Year in 2016
  • K-1
    • Winner of the K-1 World GP Euro -95kg Tournament in 2016
  • A1
    • Champion of the A1 WGP Final Heavyweight Tournament in 2016
    • Winner of A1 WGP Part 3 Heavyweight Tournament in 2016
  • Tatneft Cup
    • Champion in the +91 kg/200 lb division in 2015
  • Yangame's Fight Night
    • TATNEFT TNA Collizion +80 kg/176 lb Champion in 2015

Fight record

2025-04-05 Victory Lyndon Knowles ONE Fight Night 30 Bangkok, Thailand KO (Right cross) 1 2:10
2023-12-09 Victory Alex Roberts ONE Fight Night 17 Bangkok, Thailand KO (Left hook) 2 0:25
2022-11-19 Win Iraj Azizpour ONE 163, Tournament Final Kallang, Singapore TKO (Punches) 2 1:28
2022-09-29 Win Guto Inocente ONE 161, Tournament Semifinal Kallang, Singapore TKO (Head Kick) 1 0:52
2022-02-25 Win Murat Aygun ONE: Full Circle Kallang, Singapore KO (Kick to the body and punches) 1 2:32
2020-12-18 Win Andrei Stoica ONE Championship: Collision Course Kallang, Singapore Unanimous Decision 5 3:00
2019-11-16 Win Tarik Khbabez ONE Championship: Age Of Dragons Beijing, China TKO (3 Knockdown Rule) 2 0:43
2019-02-24 Win Iraj Azizpour Kunlun Fight 80 - Heavyweight Tournament Final Shanghai, China Unanimous Decision 3 3:00
2019-02-24 Win Rade Opačić Kunlun Fight 80 - Heavyweight Tournament Semifinals Shanghai, China TKO (5 Knockdowns via punches) 2 1:11
2019-02-24 Win Martin Pacas Kunlun Fight 80 - Heavyweight Tournament Quarter Finals Shanghai, China Unanimous Decision 3 3:00
2018-12-07 Win Sam Tevette Tatneft Cup 2018 Final Kazan, Russia Extra Round Decision 4 3:00
2018-10-06 Win Tsotne Rogava FEA World Grand Prix Final Moldova Unanimous Extra Round Decision 4 3:00
2018-10-06 Win Tomáš Hron FEA World Grand Prix Semifinals Moldova Unanimous Decision 3 3:00
2018-06-30 Win Daniel Škvor Monte-Carlo Fighting Trophy Monaco KO (Right cross) 2
2018-05-03 Win Yuksel Ayaydin MFC 7 France Decision 3 3:00
2018-02-04 Loss Iraj Azizpour Kunlun Fight 69 Heavyweight Tournament Final China Majority Decision after Extra Round 4 3:00
2018-02-04 Win Felipe Micheletti Kunlun Fight 69 Heavyweight Tournament Semifinal China Unanimous Decision 3 3:00
2017-12-17 Win align=left | Ning Tianshuai Kunlun Fight 68 Heavyweight Tournament Quarter Finals China TKO (Doctor Stoppage due to Cut) 1
2017-11-25 Win align=left | Nordine Mahieddine Nuit Des Champions Marseille, France Unanimous Decision 3 3:00
2017-07-27 Loss align=left | Tomáš Hron Yangames Fight Night Prague, Czech Republic Decision 3 3:00
2017-06-30 Win align=left | Fabrice Aurieng Monte Carlo Fighting Masters Monte Carlo, Monaco TKO (Towel thrown) 2
2016-11-19 NC (No Contest) align=left | Stéphane Susperregui Nuit des Champions 2016 Marseille, France No Contest 3 3:00
2016-10-27 Win align=left | Fabio Kwasi K-1 World GP -95kg Championship Tournament Belgrade, Serbia KO (Knee) 2
2016-10-27 Win align=left | Atha Kasapis K-1 World GP -95kg Championship Tournament Belgrade, Serbia KO (Knee) 3
2016-10-27 Win align=left | Bahrudin Mahmić K-1 World GP -95kg Championship Tournament Belgrade, Serbia KO (Knee) 1
2016-10-13 Win align=left | Arnold Oborotov Partouche Kickboxing Tour - Final France TKO (Left hook and knee) 1
2016-10-13 Win align=left | Daniel Lentie Partouche Kickboxing Tour - Final France Decision 3 3:00
2016-06-10 Win align=left | Daniel Lentie Partouche Kickboxing Tour - Final Toulon, France Opponent Abandoned 1

2016-06-10|||Win|||align=left||| Thomas Vanneste|||| Partouche Kickboxing Tour - Semi Finals|||| Toulon, France|||| TKO (Corner stoppage)||2||

2016-01-09|||Win|||align=left||| Jahfarr Wilnis|||| Kunlun Fight 36|||| Shanghai, China|||| Unanimous Decision||||3||||3:00

2015-12-26||||Win||||align=left {{{flagicon}|LAT} Konstantin Gluhov}|||| Akhmat Fight Show|||| Grozny, Russia|||| Unanimous Decision||||3||||3:00

2015-11-07||||Loss||||align=left {{{flagicon}|MAR} Tarik Khbabez}|||| SUPERKOMBAT World Grand Prix Final +96 kg/211 lb Tournament|||| Bucharest, Romania|||| Unanimous Decision||||3||||3:00

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See also

External links

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