Samet Agdeve is not losing any sleep over what Roman Kryklia may have learned from their first encounter.
The ONE Heavyweight Kickboxing World Champion defends his crown against the Ukrainian in the co-main event of The Inner Circle 19 on Friday, June 19, broadcasting live on live.onefc.com.
Agdeve's rise to the top of the heavyweight kickboxing division has been nothing short of extraordinary. The 6-feet-3 Turkish brawler stepped straight into a fight for the inaugural ONE Heavyweight Kickboxing World Title against Kryklia.
What followed left the martial arts world stunned. Agdeve dismantled the Ukrainian across five rounds via unanimous decision. His 18-0 pro record with 12 knockout victories speaks to a finishing instinct that makes him dangerous in every exchange.
For Agdeve, the outcome of that first fight was never in doubt.
"Beating Roman was not a surprise. It was the result of years of hard work, sacrifice, and belief in myself. People may have been surprised by the outcome, but I wasn't," he said.
Now, Kryklia returns with the benefit of experience and the burning motivation of a man chasing redemption. The 34-year-old Ukrainian, who stands at 6 feet 7 and carries a 51-8 career record and a 7-1 ONE record into the rematch.
The question of what adjustments he has made since their first meeting is one that Agdeve is happy to leave unanswered until fight night.
"We'll find out what he has learned when the bell rings. Until then, it's all speculation. My focus is on myself, my preparation, and being ready for whatever he brings into the ring," he explained.
Agdeve's approach to the rematch is built on a foundation of complete indifference to his opponent's mindset, and he is making that abundantly clear.
"Honestly, I don't care. Whether he has felt my power and pressure before or not doesn't change my mindset. My job is to go into the ring, perform at my best, and defend my title. What he knows or expects is his concern, not mine," he added.
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