Roman Kryklia Vs. Iraj Azizpour ONE Heavyweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix Final Added To ONE 163
The ONE Heavyweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix will reach its conclusion in the co-main event of ONE 163: Akimoto vs. Petchtanong.
Reigning ONE Light Heavyweight Kickboxing World Champion Roman Kryklia and Iranian star Iraj Azizpour will square off in a trilogy fight for the tournament’s silver belt at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Saturday, November 19.
Kryklia and Azizpour are tied 1-1 following a pair of meetings outside of ONE Championship in 2018 and 2019.
Their third battle was originally slated to take place in the Circle last October, but Kryklia was forced to withdraw due to an illness.
Now, the two massive strikers will finally settle their score on the global stage.
The old rivals earned their spots in the ONE Heavyweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix Championship Final in very different ways at ONE 161 in September.
Azizpour was up against debuting Brazilian Bruno Chaves. The Iranian gave a measured performance against his dangerous foe, dialing up the pressure with kicks and overhand right as the rounds wore on.
The clear-cut unanimous decision improved Azizpour to 3-0 in ONE Championship following his decision win over Anderson “Braddock” Silva and his knockout of Ismael Londt.
In the other semifinal, Kryklia faced off against Brazilian legend Guto Inocente, who was in the midst of a hot streak with back-to-back KOs in ONE.
However, the Ukrainian superstar made quick work of his opponent, scoring a stoppage victory in just 52 seconds. He first dropped Inocente with a right hand and then connected with a high kick that forced the referee to step in.
Kryklia hasn’t tasted defeat since his extension-round decision loss to Azizpour in 2018. He now has 12 straight wins overall, including three ONE Light Heavyweight Kickboxing World Title victories.
If he can overcome his Iranian rival on November 19, the 31-year-old will pair the tournament’s silver belt with his gold light heavyweight kickboxing strap.
The ONE Heavyweight Kickboxing Grand Prix Championship Final showdown adds to a feast for martial arts fans at ONE 163.
Several other bouts have already been announced, including Hiroki Akimoto defending his ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title against Petchtanong Petchfergus in the main event.
Stay tuned to onefc.com for more updates on the 19 card.
