WATCH: Iraj Azizpour meets Islam Makhachev backstage at ONE 163
ONE Heavyweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix finalist Iraj Azizpour got a photo opportunity with the new UFC lightweight world champion Islam Makhachev. The two master combatants met backstage at ONE 163.
On Instagram, ONE Championship shared:
"Titans of combat meet backstage 👊[Iraj Azizpour] [Islam Makhachev]"
Iran's Iraj Azizpour was on a three-fight win streak in the ONE heavyweight kickboxing division and was competing in the final of the ONE Heavyweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix against the ONE light heavyweight king Roman Kryklia. Their third career showdown was a back-and-forth war, with Azizpour scoring a thunderous knockdown in the first round.
Ultimately, Kryklia rallied back and ended the fight by way of knockout in the second round. The Ukrainian-born fighter walked away with the tournament world championship plus a $50,000 performance bonus for the knockout.
Islam Makhachev recently became the UFC lightweight champion when he defeated Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 to extend his win streak to 11 in a row.
Dagestan's Islam Makhachev also snapped a photo alongside ONE Championship submission grappler Danielle Kelly. On Instagram, the American grappling ace shared:
"Some sambo guy asked me for a picture at Starbucks"
Makhachev is a protege of MMA legend Khabib Nurmagomedov, who also coaches ONE Championship athlete Saygid Izagakhmaev and freshly crowned Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov. Dagestan's Izagakhmaev and Usman Nurmagomedov were both victorious this past weekend.
Iranian powerhouse Iraj Azizpour settles his trilogy with towering giant Roman Kryklia in the ONE Heavyweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix Championship Final at ONE 163! 
Credit where credit is due 👏 Iranian powerhouse Iraj Azizpour settles his trilogy with towering giant Roman Kryklia in the ONE Heavyweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix Championship Final at ONE 163! 🏆 https://t.co/rNQGNlVovg
Roman Kryklia discusses Iraj Azizpour
Ukrainian striker Roman Kryklia had to battle through hell to get a win against the heavyweight kickboxer Iraj Azizpour. Suffering a knockdown in the first round, Kryklia was forced to dig deep just to survive.
After winning the ONE heavyweight World Grand Prix Championship, Kryklia said:
"He's the toughest guy in my career so I respect him so much. But war is war."
Roman Kryklia and Azizpour have now faced each other in three bouts, with Kryklia winning the most recent two of the fights. The Ukrainian and Iranian fighters always battle in exciting matches.
Their latest matchup was no different, as it featured heavy offence from both fighters. For the first time in their three matchups, this bout ended in definitive fashion, with Kryklia effectively ending their rivalry.