Seven months ago, the scorecards delivered a verdict that nobody in kickboxing had seen coming. Roman Kryklia walked out of Lumpinee Stadium without the ONE Heavyweight Kickboxing World Title, his seven-year unbeaten streak erased by a composed and clinical performance from the debuting Samet Agdeve.

On Friday, June 19, Kryklia gets his shot at redemption when he faces Agdeve in a rematch at The Inner Circle 19, live from Bangkok’s legendary Lumpinee Stadium and available exclusively to members through The Inner Circle.

Agdeve arrives at the sequel at 18-0, the ONE Heavyweight Kickboxing World Title around his waist after taking it in his promotional debut last November at ONE Fight Night 37. He executed a game plan that caught even the Ukrainian’s team off-guard, and he did it against a man who had finished seven of his eight ONE Championship victories.

Kryklia, who also holds the ONE Heavyweight Muay Thai World Championship and the ONE Light Heavyweight Kickboxing World Championship, is not a man short of motivation. But this loss has produced something sharper in him.

The 34-year-old Ukrainian has not tried to bury the memory of that defeat. He has taken it apart and used it.

“I’m very grateful to Samet for that clash. Despite losing that last fight, I had the opportunity to look back a lot on myself as a fighter, and it helped me change certain things in my routine,” Kryklia said.

The loss ended a run of seven years without defeat. For most fighters, that kind of setback leaves scars. For Kryklia, it has sharpened the picture. He spent the months after ONE Fight Night 37 working alongside head coach Andrey Gridin at Bangtao Muay Thai and MMA, refining the details that the first fight exposed.

“I [wasn’t] lacking anything, but sometimes you discover new things about yourself when you lose. This time, I will bring a much better and more dangerous version,” he said.

Kryklia insists that Agdeve’s win at ONE Fight Night 37 was the product of a smart game plan rather than superior ability. He has processed the result with clear eyes and drawn a precise conclusion about the man who beat him.

“I think what makes him good is his strong side. But he had a good game plan from the first fight. He was ready, and his team’s strategy was good. I don’t think that he’s a top-level fighter – but this is not me trying to look down on him,” Kryklia said.

With camp complete, the blueprint locked, and the date circled, Kryklia delivered his message to the champion ahead of Friday night.

“I’m ready for all five rounds, but of course, I’m always looking for a chance to knock out my opponent. This is my skill, and I proved it in my previous fights. I can’t tell you the round. I can’t tell you the prediction. But I can tell you, this will be a war that I will win,” he said.

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