Japanese kickboxing superstar Takeru Segawa came to ONE Championship with one ambition: to fight Rodtang Jitmuangnon.
“The Natural Born Crusher” will finally get his wish when the pair collide in a flyweight kickboxing superfight at ONE 172 inside Japan’s iconic Saitama Super Arena on Sunday, March 23, 2025, and he is raring to go.
The bout was initially scheduled to occur this past January at ONE 165, but it was sidelined after Rodtang suffered an injury. Both men have tasted success on ONE’s global stage since then, so Takeru believes it’s the perfect time for them to collide.
“I’m very happy to finally fight Rodtang. He had injuries, and our fight was postponed, but this match happening now means it was destiny,” he beamed.
“I’m not thinking about anything beyond this fight. I will put everything from my martial arts life into this battle. I expect us to have the greatest striking match where one of us might break, so Rodtang, I look forward to it.”
Though his bout with “The Iron Man” was cancelled at ONE 165, Takeru still made his ONE debut at the thrilling show, which went down in his backyard of Tokyo.
He slipped to a defeat at the hands of future two-sport king Superlek that evening, so the kickboxing great is highly motivated to impress when he returns to his homeland.
Takeru notched up his first promotional victory when he next stepped into action, a knockout win over Thant Zin at ONE Friday Fights 81 this past September, and he is determined to add to that momentum in front of his compatriots in March.
“I’m very happy to fight in Japan,” he said.
“After leaving K-1, I often fought overseas. I’m glad I can show the culmination of my active career in front of Japanese fans. I want to show them my victory.”
