The world called it an upset. He called it the result of everything his mother ever taught him.
Samet Agdeve defends the ONE Heavyweight Kickboxing World Title against two-sport, two-division king Roman Kryklia in the co-main event of The Inner Circle 19 on Friday, June 19, streaming live for members from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The 22-year-old Turkish titleholder enters the rematch at 18-0 with 12 knockouts.
Agdeve grew up in Izmir, Türkiye, where his father worked construction and his mother raised three boys through hardship that included her own battle with cancer. Watching her navigate the illness forced him to mature long before most fighters his age had thrown a serious punch.
He relocated alone to Germany as a teenager, training at AllStars Germany while working construction and security shifts to survive. There were nights on the streets and days spent hungry, but the values his mother instilled never broke down.
“It was a very difficult period in my life. Watching my mother battle cancer at such a young age taught me patience, resilience, and responsibility,” he said.
“It forced me to grow up earlier than most people. Those experiences shaped me not only as a fighter, but also as a man. They taught me how to stay strong during hard times and never give up when life becomes difficult.”
Samet Agdeve dedicates his title to his mother
Samet Agdeve made his ONE Championship debut at ONE Fight Night 37 last November and walked out as the inaugural ONE Heavyweight Kickboxing World Champion, stopping Kryklia’s seven-year unbeaten streak in the promotion via unanimous decision. It was the defining night of his career. In the middle of it all, his thoughts went home.
Before the belt was secured, his mother had left him with a phrase that stayed with him through the streets of Stuttgart and the SENSHI Grand Prix and every session in between.
“When you rise, you’ll tell these stories,” he recalled her saying.
Now he is telling them. The patience and gratitude she modelled are the same qualities he calls on when the moments get difficult inside the ring.
“The most important lessons I learned from my mother were patience and gratitude,” he said.
“No matter how difficult life became, she taught me to be thankful for what I had instead of focusing on what I lacked. Those lessons helped me stay strong during tough times, keep moving forward, and never lose faith in the process.”
