Samet Agdeve Dedicates ONE Heavyweight Kickboxing World Title To His Mother
Before Samet Agdeve was a world champion, he was a teenager sleeping rough in Germany, working construction and security shifts on an empty stomach, held together by lessons his mother had taught him long before anyone in the combat sports world knew his name.
“The King” 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, streaming live for members in Asia primetime from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, June 19. The 22-year-old Turkish titleholder enters the rematch undefeated at 18-0 with 12 knockouts.
The road to that record runs through Izmir, Türkiye, where Agdeve grew up in a household shaped by hard work and harder circumstance. His father worked in construction while his mother raised three boys under enormous pressure, including her own battle with cancer. Watching her fight through the illness at a young age left an impression that has never left him.
“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.”
Agdeve relocated alone to Germany as a teenager, training at AllStars Germany while surviving on construction wages and security work, occasionally with no roof overhead. Through every setback, his mother’s voice remained the constant. The lesson she returned to most was the one she lived by: gratitude, regardless of circumstances.
“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.”
He arrived on the world stage at ONE Fight Night 37 last November as the undefeated Turkish unknown, facing Kryklia’s seven-year unbeaten streak in ONE Championship. Five rounds later, Agdeve had claimed the inaugural ONE Heavyweight Kickboxing World Title by unanimous decision. In that moment, the first person he thought of was not a trainer or a promoter.
“I was absolutely thinking about my mother even while I was standing in the ring,” he said.
“The moment I became World Champion, one of the first people who came to my mind was her. I dedicated that victory and the World Title to my mother because she played a huge role in shaping the person I am today. It was an emotional moment, and sharing that achievement with her meant more to me than any belt or trophy.”
Recent posts
