Takeru Segawa’s arrival in ONE Championship has sparked chat about many potential super-fights, and his first appearance could very well set off a trend.
The Japanese megastar will challenge ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion Superlek Kiatmoo9 for his crown in the main event of ONE 165 in Tokyo, Japan’s Ariake Arena this Sunday, 28th January. And though it wasn’t the original fight set for Takeru, it’s still going to be an enormous affair.
The debuting sensation was first scheduled to take on ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon in a kickboxing showdown until “The Iron Man” was forced to withdraw due to injury.
Takeru may have initially been disappointed with the change in opponent, but he still sees a clash with ONE’s flyweight kickboxing king as a path to greatness in the promotion.
“I had been preparing for months to face Rodtang, so there were feelings of frustration when he couldn’t participate. However, considering that an exceptional opponent like Superlek was arranged and it’s a World Title match, I felt there was no reason to decline this offer,” he said.
After all, both men are undoubtedly two of the greatest strikers in combat sports today, and their match should be a fascinating collision of styles.
Takeru’s punching power has seen him amass 25 knockouts in his career. Meanwhile, Superlek’s thunderous kicks have led him to multiple World Titles.
“The Natural Born Crusher” believes one attribute must win out over the other when they meet this weekend, and he believes his ability to turn off lights will see him take the gold.
“He has been fighting in Muay Thai for a long time [before kickboxing], possessing Muay Thai techniques and strong kicks. In terms of the match content, I believe it will be a battle between my punches and Superlek’s kicks,” Takeru analyzed.
“Since this match has five rounds, it may become a match where one of us falls. I absolutely want to KO Superlek and win the belt.”
