‘It’s Going To Be Carnage’ – Alex Roberts Promises Fireworks As Road To Redemption Begins At ONE Friday Fights 72
Australian Muay Thai standout Alex Roberts has World Title glory on his mind, and he plans to kick off a run for the gold at ONE Friday Fights 72.
“The Viking” will make his second appearance in the world’s largest martial arts organization at Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium, when he takes on Russian knockout artist Beybulat Isaev in a light heavyweight Muay Thai slugfest on July 26.
Roberts made his ONE debut at ONE Fight Night 17: Kryklia vs. Roberts last December, when he faced Ukrainian superstar Roman Kryklia for the inaugural ONE Heavyweight Muay Thai World Title.
He ultimately succumbed by knockout in the second round that night, but it hasn’t stopped him looking back fondly at his first taste of the global stage.
The former WBC Heavyweight Muay Thai World Champion told onefc.com:
“They’re an amazing organization, they really take care of you. The fight week was amazing, getting looked after and getting the experience of ONE Championship is another level.
“I’m excited to do it all over again.”
Roberts gained even more fans with a spirited showing against Kryklia, a dominant World Champion who is undefeated in his six fights in ONE Championship.
The Perth native is now poised to take the lessons he learned and use them as fuel for his next fight.
“[Roman] is amazing, so fast. For someone that size to move as well as he does, that was something else. The range that he’s got as well, he can just hit you when you don’t think you can get hit. It was an experience to fight someone on that level.
“It was a great fight and it showed that I’m on the [same] level as well. Things can happen, and I’ve had plenty of time to recover and regroup. I’ve been working on that head movement and defense a little bit more now in the little gloves, adapting things so we’re ready to get in there again.”
Alex Roberts Is Ready To Sling Elbows With Beybulat Isaev
Beybulat Isaev has been a staple of ONE’s heavyweight kickboxing division since 2019, but he is also no stranger to the Muay Thai ruleset having begun his career in the sport.
The 30-year-old has dynamite in his hands and speed to burn, but Roberts believes his pure Muay Thai style could be the difference in the ring.
He explained:
“I think his hands are the biggest danger, particularly when you add the hands with little gloves.
“He’s got great boxing, so you don’t want to be sitting in the mid-range and exchange with him non-stop. You want to be working that distance in and out and tie him up in the clinch. It’ll be interesting to see how good his clinch is, if he’s been fighting kickboxing the last few years.
Having come within arms reach of a ONE World Title in his promotional debut, Roberts is hungry for another chance to bring the 26-pound gold belt back to Australia.
As such, the 35-year-old won’t be holding back as he looks to put the light heavyweight Muay Thai division on notice with a statement victory this Friday:
“I think a win puts me right back at the top since Isaev has been there for a while. Then we can just keep building a run back to Roman [Kryklia].
“I’m going to be throwing a lot of elbows, trying to put on a show and get some blood involved. It’s going to be carnage and we’re going to get a stoppage win.”
