“I’ll beat him decisively” - Takeru Segawa still has Rodtang on his radar once he takes care of business against Superlek

Takeru Segawa plans to defeat Superlek Kiatmoo9 on Sunday at ONE 165 and then reschedule his kickboxing fight against Rodtang Jitmaungnon.

In early 2023, ONE Championship made a significant move to bolster their kickboxing talent pool by signing Japanese superstar Takeru. Since then, the combat sports community has eagerly waited for the 32-year-old to make his promotional debut.

ONE decided to capitalize on Takeru’s fame by scheduling his first fight for ONE 165 at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, where he will overwhelmingly be the fan favorite. He was initially supposed to fight Rodtang in a kickboxing bout, but the ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion pulled out with an injury.

As a result, Superlek saw an opportunity to step in for the super-fight and put his ONE flyweight kickboxing world title on the line. Although Takeru is focused on ‘The Kicking Machine,’ he hasn’t forgotten the action-packed matchup against Rodtang.

During an interview with ONE, Takeru Segawa had this to say about his plans for 2024:

“I’ll start with Superlek. I’ll beat him decisively and then I’ll look for that fight [vs. Rodtang] again.”

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Chatri Sityodtong believes Rodtang Jitmuangnon vs. Takeru Segawa would be bigger depending on ONE 165 main event

Rodtang Jitmuangnon vs. Takeru Segawa would have been massive for the promotion, as it would showcase arguably their two biggest striking superstars. With that said, the must-see matchup could become more intriguing if Takeru wins gold against Superlek Kiatmoo9 at ONE 165.

ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong had this to say during the ONE 165 official press conference:

“Superlek was fortunate because he was ready for the match as he was scheduled to fight Elias on January 13th, but the latter withdrew. If Takeru wins this match and defends the belt against Rodtang in the future, it would create an even bigger story.”

Before worrying about what’s next, Takeru Segawa has business to take care of later this week. It’ll be easier said than done for the Japanese superstar, as Superlek Kiatmoo9 is coming off a calendar year where he went 2-0 in kickboxing and 3-0 in Muay Thai, including a win over Rodtang in a catchweight super-fight.