“It was nothing unpredictable” - Roman Kryklia knew Lyndon Knowles will be on the defensive once he lets his hands go

Roman Kryklia expected a "more aggressive attitude" from Lyndon Knowles.

Earlier this month, Kryklia had an opportunity to extend his undefeated promotional record at ONE Fight Night 30. The two-sport world champion was tasked with defending his heavyweight Muay Thai strap against Knowles.

Knowles, a friend and training partner of Jonathan Haggerty, is known for a recklessly aggressive fighting style. The gutsy challenger tried to employ his game plan but instead suffered a first-round knockout at the hands of Krkylia, who was lying in wait.

Kryklia did an interview with the South China Morning Post after his latest win and had this to say about Knowles:

"No, it was nothing unpredictable. But in the first round, I started actively, but maybe after one minute, I just made some pause, and I was waiting for a more aggressive attitude from my opponent."

Kryklia received a $50,000 performance bonus for his first-round knockout win against Lyndon Knowles. Earlier in the night, Nico Carrillo also secured the extra money due to a second-round knockout against Sitthichai.

The replay of ONE Fight Night 30, including Kryklia's and Carrillo's knockout wins, can be seen for free by North American and Canadian viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.

Check out Roman Kryklia's entire interview with the South China Morning Post below:

---

Roman Kryklia plans to wait for "really good challengers" for his world titles

ONE Championship is known to be the home of the best strikers in the world. However, Roman Kryklia's dominance in the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions of the striking arts has left no clear contenders for his belts.

During the ONE Fight Night 30 post-event press conference, Kryklia put his trust in the promotion to match him with worthy rivals:

"No, I cannot say anyone in particular, but I'm waiting for really good challengers and some really strong opponents for me."

Kryklia started his ONE Championship tenure winning five consecutive kickboxing bouts, including four inside the distance. The 33-year-old became a three-time champion in ONE's light heavyweight kickboxing division.

The Ukrainian powerhouse later transitioned to Muay Thai, defeating former WBC Muay Thai world champion Alex Roberts by knockout to defend the heavyweight title. Kryklia's first title defense against Lyndon Knowles furthered his status as an all-time great.

Watch Kryklia's knockout against Knowles below: