Undefeated Turkish phenom Samet Agdeve captured the inaugural ONE Heavyweight Kickboxing World Title in a remarkable fashion, defeating two-division, two-sport champion Roman Kryklia via unanimous decision in a grueling five-round war at ONE Fight Night 37 on Friday, November 7, in Bangkok, Thailand.
The 21-year-old striker made history in his ONE Championship debut, handing the Ukrainian giant his first defeat in seven years while snapping a 15-fight winning streak that had established Kryklia as one of the sport’s most dominant heavyweights.
Agdeve’s tactical brilliance and relentless leg attacks forced the towering champion to alter his strategy mid-fight, ultimately leading to the historic upset victory.
Turkish Sensation Agdeve Predicted Championship Glory
Agdeve expressed validation of his pre-fight predictions, having publicly declared his intention to capture championship gold in his promotional debut. The Turkish knockout artist’s confidence proved justified as he executed his game plan to perfection against one of kickboxing’s most accomplished stars.
“I knew it was going to happen. I shared on social media that I’m coming for the World Championship. Now, I’m here. I’m 21 years old, I’ve got the belt, I’m the champion,” Agdeve said.
The young champion’s perfect 18-0 professional record now includes the most significant victory of his career, establishing him as the promotion’s inaugural heavyweight kickboxing king while announcing his arrival among the sport’s elite competitors.
Fearless Approach Neutralized Kryklia’s Size Advantage
The Turkish striker revealed his mindset entering the bout, explaining how his aggressive mentality allowed him to neutralize Kryklia’s physical advantages. Agdeve’s willingness to keep his guard low and respond with head movement and relentless calf kicks demonstrated supreme confidence against a fighter known for terrifying knockout power.
“I’m a fearless fighter. Against Roman, I gotta be fearless. I know he’s a powerful fighter. But every time he tried to use his jab, I responded with my head, as you saw in the fight, I kept my guard low,” Agdeve explained.
The strategy proved effective throughout the championship rounds, as Agdeve’s movement and timing prevented Kryklia from establishing the distance control that typically makes him virtually untouchable.
Agdeve Ready for All Challengers
The newly crowned titleholder expressed satisfaction with the judges’ scorecards while issuing an open challenge to the heavyweight kickboxing division. Agdeve’s confident declaration suggests he views this victory as merely the beginning of a dominant championship reign.
“I was very happy with the judges’ results. Like I said before the fight, I was going to write history, and I did it. Now I have the belt, and whoever wants to challenge me, they’re welcome,” Agdeve stated about his championship future.
The historic victory establishes Agdeve as the face of ONE Championship’s heavyweight kickboxing division while marking a changing of the guard at the top of the weight class. Kryklia’s first defeat in seven years and snapped 15-fight winning streak represents a seismic shift in the division’s landscape.
