“He could be a good pitcher” - Japanese sensation Takeru casually throwing heaters ahead of Rodtang super fight

Japanese kickboxing sensation Takeru is in the final stages of his preparation for his ONE Championship debut at ONE 165 on January 28. Across the Circle from him will be reigning ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon in a kickboxing bout for the ages.

With just a few weeks ahead of his massive superfight, the 'Natural Born Crusher' is seemingly tapering down from his intense training and just finding time to relax the mind

ONE Championship posted Takeru's fast pitches during his down time:

Fans are loving Takeru's hidden talent in baseball and shared their reaction:

@pure.jl hilariously pointed out the Japanese superstar's ardent dedication to his craft:

"Got his fighting shorts on during baseball😂😂 he’s ready to fight anytime👊"

Few of the fans were all in praise of the 'Natural Born Crucsher' and his pitching technique:

"Good pitching ~"

"He could be a good pitcher 👏🔥"

"Nice pitch"

Takeru confident of victory over Rodtang at ONE 165

With the massive superfight happening in Takeru's backyard inside Tokyo’s Ariake Arena, the 'Natural Born Crusher' is brimming with confidence leading up to January 28.

Not only that, but since the bout will be contested under kickboxing rules, Rodtang will be largely playing inside the Japanese superstar's world. Those two combined and there's a huge psychological advantage for the 'Natural Born Crusher'.

But as the great Japanese swordsman Miayamoto Musashi once said, "True warriors are fierce because their training is fierce". You can have the home court and rules advantage all you want but nothing beats the importance of training and preparation when it comes to winning a fight.

Ahead of ONE 165, the 'Natural Born Crusher' posted his shredded look after his rigorous training regimen: