LOOK: Takeru's leg looks like raw hamburger meat a day after Superlek fight

Takeru Segawa showed the world why he will always have the heart of a champion.

The Japanese legend may have fallen short in his ONE Championship debut at ONE 165, but the way he fought ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion Superlek Kiatmoo9 drew widespread praise.

Takeru and Superlek put on what could be the greatest kickboxing match of the year, but it left ‘The Natural Born Crusher’ a little worse for wear.

In an Instagram post, Takeru showed the horrifying extent of the damage Superlek caused on his left leg during their match at Ariake Arena this past weekend.

Injuries are not uncommon in combat sports, but the visual of Takeru’s leg is enough to send shivers down someone’s spine.

Takeru’s left thigh had a disgusting shade of red and black, and the kickboxing icon revealed he couldn’t walk on his power following the match.

Superlek brutalized Takeru’s lead leg for much of the contest, which prevented the former three-division K-1 Kickboxing world champion from going forward throughout the fight.

With his left leg taking so much punishment, Takeru couldn’t plant down and string up combinations as much as we would’ve wanted.

Takeru, nevertheless, showed why he’s such a beloved figure in Japanese sporting culture. Despite his pain receptors going haywire, Takeru caught his second wind and unleashed a tempest of punches that nearly put Superlek down in the third.

Superlek, however, still got the better of Takeru and left Tokyo with the ONE flyweight kickboxing world title in tow.

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Takeru gets emotional following heartbreaking loss to Superlek

Takeru Segawa didn’t get the dream debut he wanted in ONE Championship, and he couldn’t help but feel disappointed following his loss to Superlek.

Buoyed by his hometown fans, Takeru put it all on the line against Superlek in a bid to capture the ONE flyweight kickboxing world title. However, he didn’t get his hand raised and settled for a heartbreaking defeat in his promotional debut.

After the match, a tearful Takeru thanked those who had supported him leading up to his arrival at ONE Championship.

Takeru told ONE Championship commentator Mitch Chilson in his in-ring interview:

“I really wanted to win, and I just want to thank everyone who has been in my corner since day one. I want to thank the fans in attendance, all the fans watching on pay-per-view. I trained so hard for this. There’s been a lot of stuff going around in Japan like the earthquake. A lot of people.”