The heavyweight landscape changed in Singapore when Samet Agdeve dethroned Roman Kryklia to become the first ONE Heavyweight Kickboxing World Champion. The victory was not a marginal surprise, it was a reordering: Agdeve entered the night as a rising Turkish talent and left with a belt and an unblemished professional record of 19–0, while Kryklia suffered his first loss in nearly five years, moving to 31–2.
Agdeve imposed a high-pressure plan from the opening bell, cutting off ring space and targeting Kryklia’s body to sap the Ukrainian’s rhythm. The match turned decisively in the later rounds, when a looping left hook in the fourth staggered Kryklia before Agdeve finished with sustained knees in the clinch. The judges returned a unanimous verdict, 49–46, 48–47, 49–46, handing Agdeve the inaugural crown.
After the fight Agdeve said, “People said I wasn’t ready for him. But I believed in my power and my team. I came here to take what’s mine — and I did.” The comment underlined how thoroughly the challenger executed a game plan that many saw as bold against a decorated, technically gifted opponent. Michael Schiavello, ONE Championship commentator, praised the method behind the result, saying, “Agdeve’s footwork and inside game broke Kryklia’s rhythm,” and adding, “This wasn’t luck — it was strategy, and it was flawless.”
Earlier on the card Scotland’s Nico Carrillo continued to build momentum at bantamweight, outlasting Thai veteran Kulabdam Sor. Jor. Piek Uthai across three rounds in a Muay Thai contest that showcased Carrillo’s precision. He dropped Kulabdam in the second with a right cross and went on to a unanimous decision. The 26-year-old Glasgow native now sits at 6–0 under the ONE banner, a streak that edges him closer to a title opportunity against reigning champion Jonathan Haggerty. ONE analyst Mitch Chilson summarised the trajectory bluntly: “Nico Carrillo’s trajectory is frightening,” and added, “He fights with composure beyond his years and has that rare mix of patience and power that defines elite strikers.” Carrillo told Sky Sports he plans to fight once more before year’s end, ideally in Bangkok, to stay sharp ahead of a
potential title eliminator.
For ONE Championship the night accomplished more than new belts, it validated the promotion’s cross-regional recruitment and matchmaking. “We’re witnessing a generational shift,” said ONE Chairman Chatri Sityodtong. “Agdeve represents a new era of global talent — fearless, technical, and hungry.” The immediate aftermath obliges contenders and matchmakers to recalibrate: a new heavyweight champion must be tested, and Carrillo’s unbeaten run places him firmly in the bantamweight conversation. Prime 40 delivered a major upset and set clear storylines for the promotion’s striking divisions moving forward.
