“Going to be a barnburner” - Chatri Sityodtong hyped for the Roman Kryklia vs. Iraj Azizpour matchup 

ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong is hyped for the explosive matchup between Roman Kryklia and Iraj Azizpour. The pair are set to collide in the ONE Heavyweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix Championship final.

The two behemoths made their way to the final after defeating their respective opponents in dominant fashion at ONE 161 on September 29. Anticipating a final that’ll be worthy of a place in the history books is Chatri Sityodtong, who's expressed deep excitement for the upcoming trilogy matchup.

Speaking during a media interview at ONE 161, Chatri Sityodtong said:

“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. There's no doubt, Roman is the greatest light heavyweight striker on the planet now. Nobody can [do what he does]. [He’s] six-foot-seven and he hits like a truck, and he moves well, he's just unbelievable.”

Catch the full interview below:

Standing at 6-feet-and-7-inches tall, ONE light heavyweight kickboxing world champion Roman Kryklia is no doubt the most dangerous fighter in his weight class. He was able to carry that threat when he stepped up to the heavyweight ranks.

He made quick work of MMA veteran Guto Inocente in just 56 seconds, wobbling the Brazilian with a heavy right hook in the first round. He then followed that up with a head kick that once again rocked Inocente, causing the referee to stop the contest.

Conversely, Iranian kickboxer Iraj Azizpour, who is 1-1 in his series with Kryklia, advanced to the tournament final after a one-sided victory over ONE newcomer Bruno ‘Muhammad Ali’ Chavez.

The 33-year-old powerhitter took his time finding his shots, while Chavez had difficulties closing the range. With the win, Azizpour earned his third consecutive triumph in the Circle. It’s clear that he has the right weapons to give his long-time rival Roman Kryklia a good run for his money.

---

Chatri Sityodtong awards a $50,000 bonus to Roman Kryklia

Following Roman Kryklia’s highlight-reel finish of Guto Inocente, ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong awarded the Ukrainian athlete with a well-deserved $50,000 bonus to boot.

The inaugural ONE light heavyweight kickboxing world champion proved why he is the favorite to win the coveted silver belt of the tournament. His opponent, Guto Inocente, came into the foray with confidence after back-to-back KO wins earlier this year.

With that, no one could’ve anticipated Roman Kryklia ending the fight with two shots, punching his ticket to the final against Arjan Azizpour. After hearing that he'd won the $50,000 bonus, Kryklia said:

“Thank you so much Chatri, I was waiting for this moment since I came here for this. I want to say grateful words to my coach firstly, for my wife, [and] for all my relatives in Ukraine.”

Rewatch how it all went down below: (4:17:32)