“This is what motivated me to want to beat him” - Takeru’s immense kickboxing pedigree fuels Superlek heading into ONE 165

Superlek Kiatmoo9 doesn’t need much to get motivated for a fight, but he kicks it into another gear when he gets to face an all-time great. So when he got tasked to face Takeru Segawa, the Thai superstar knew he had to go beyond what he was already capable of.

The reigning ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion will defend his throne against the Japanese legend in the main event of ONE 165: Superlek vs. Takeru on Sunday at Ariake Arena in Tokyo.

Although Takeru is a newcomer to ONE Championship, he already holds an astounding pedigree that puts him in the pantheon of kickboxing’s greatest fighters.

Superlek is aware of the majesty that surrounds his opponent, and he’s on a mission to show that Takeru will be entering a new realm once they step between the ropes.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Superlek said:

“I have more experience in combat sports than him. But he has more kickboxing experience than me. This is what motivated me to want to beat him. Because that means I can beat the top kickboxers of the world.”

Superlek is primarily a Muay Thai artist, but he quickly rose to the top of the kickboxing world when he captured the ONE flyweight kickboxing world title in January 2023.

‘The Kicking Machine’, however, believes that beating Takeru will cement his place among the hallowed space of kickboxing icons.

ONE 165 is ONE Championship’s first event in Japan since 2019 and is available on pay-per-view at watch.onefc.com.

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Superlek wants to prove himself against Takeru

As a lifelong Muay Thai artist, Superlek is aware that some individuals in the kickboxing circle will always view him as an outsider.

Unable to shake off that leering presumption, the ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion plans to beat Takeru and silence the doubters.

Superlek said in the same interview that if he wants to be recognized as one of their own, he has to beat Takeru in their own game.

Takeru is regarded as one of the greatest kickboxers of all time and is the only person to win three world titles in as many weight classes in K-1 Kickboxing history:

“If I can beat someone like Takeru, it will greatly help me get accepted into the kickboxing world. Because I just started fighting under kickboxing rules for a few fights. If I could beat the best kickboxer in the world. Of course, I will be able to upgrade myself to the next level.”