ONE Fight Night 17: Kryklia vs. Roberts Preview and Predictions

On Friday, Dec. 8, ONE Championship will showcase the seventeenth edition of their partnership with Amazon Prime Video. ONE Fight Night 17 features eight Muay Thai matchups, with the main event being for the inaugural ONE heavyweight world title.

Over the past four years, Roman Kryklia has dominated the light heavyweight and heavyweight kickboxing divisions with five consecutive wins (4 KOs). The Ukranian knockout artist now looks to become a two-sport king by defeating promotional newcomer and WBC champion Alex Roberts for Muay Thai gold.

In the co-main event, “Smokin'” Jo Nattawut and Luke Lessei will meet for a featherweight display of “The Art of Eight Limbs.” Both fighters tend to avoid a judge’s decision, so don’t blink when these two warriors enter the ring.

ONE Fight Night 17 also features the return of 17-year-old rising superstar Johan Ghazali, Felipe Lobo vs. Saemapetch Fairtex 2, Dmitry Menshikov vs. Mouhcine Chafi, and more.

The event airs live on Amazon Prime Video starting at 8 p.m. ET. Let’s take a look at the preview and predictions for ONE Fight Night 17, which takes place inside the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

The inaugural ONE Muay Thai heavyweight championship will be won in the main event; will it be current ONE light heavyweight kickboxing champion Roman Kryklia or WBC Muay Thai heavyweight world champion Alex Roberts who comes away wrapped in gold?

Roman Kryklia has established himself as the guy to beat in the higher weight classes of ONE Championship’s striking sports. Yet, the 32-year-old hasn’t been challenged under the ONE banner with smaller gloves, which he will on Friday night against Alex Roberts.

As for Roberts, the Australian heavyweight is making his promotional debut, but he has plenty of Muay Thai experience. Earlier this year, Roberts put his future opponents on notice by becoming the WBC Muay Thai world champion.

Roberts is undoubtedly a threat to Kryklia’s undefeated promotional record. With that said, Kryklia has shown that his calculated pressure and accurate power combinations are a problem for any opponent, regardless of the sport.

Therefore, Kryklia will likely remain patient and break down Roberts before securing a knockout win in round two or three.

“Smokin'” Jo Nattawut has lost three consecutive fights; how does he fare against Iowa’s Luke Lessei?

Jo Nattawut’s three-fight losing streak can be misleading to the uneducated eye.

When taking a deeper look, Nattawut’s last three fights included kickboxing loss against world-class talents Tawanchai and Chingiz Allazov, with a close unanimous decision Muay Thai defeat against Jamal Yusupov.

Meanwhile, Luke Lessei is making his promotional debut with a fair amount of hype surrounding him. Lessei has the skills to put the division on notice, but he must overcome the adversity brought upon an American who has to travel to Thailand and face a Thai fighter.

Lessei has a future in ONE Championship. Unfortunately for him, Nattawut’s power homefield advantage should lead to a knockout win in Round 1 or Round 2.

The all Muay Thai card includes a showdown between Felipe Lobo and Saemapetch Fairtex; how does this bantamweight clash play out?

On Apr. 21, Felipe Lobo and Saemapetch Fairtex fought at ONE Fight Night 9. The two bantamweight Muay Thai fighters went to war until Lobo emerged victorious with a third-round knockout. Saemapetch now looks to gain revenge at ONE Fight Night 17.

Lobo hasn’t fought since his win at ONE Fight Night 9. Meanwhile, Saemapetch returned to action on Aug. 25, when he bounced back with a first-round knockout win against Kaonar Sor Jor Thongprajin.

When it comes to ONE Fight Night 17, Saemapetch has the tools needed to even his series against Lobo. There’s no doubt it will be another war, but the Thai fighter should be able to leave Lumpinee Boxing Stadium with a unanimous decision win on Friday.

Which fight is the sleeper matchup on this card?

The sleeper matchup for ONE Fight Night 17 is a flyweight Muay Thai bout between Johan Ghazali and Edgar Tabares.

On Feb. 24, Ghazali made his ONE Championship debut and put fans on notice with a 16-second knockout. Since then, he’s secured three more wins, including two by knockout, to earn a $100,000 contract for a main roster spot.

At ONE Fight Night 17, Ghazali will fight for the first time since earning his ONE contract. The 17-year-old has been matched up against former title challenge Edgar Tabares, who holds a 0-2 promotional record after losing against Rodtang and Elias Mahmoudi.

Things haven’t gone Tabares’ way since joining ONE. With that said, the Mexican-born fighter has showcased a warrior spirit with flashes of potential. Therefore, the matchup between him and Ghazali shouldn’t be missed.