“All I could think of was getting back” - Takeru Segawa losing in ONE debut lit a fire underneath him

Former multi-time K-1 kickboxing world champion and current second-ranked ONE Championship flyweight kickboxing contender 'Natural Born Krusher' Takeru Segawa of Japan came to the world's largest martial arts organization looking to establish his greatness.

But after running into Thai megastar 'The Kicking Machine' Superlek Kiatmoo9 in his promotional debut, the Japanese fighter was quickly humbled in defeat.

Takeru lost a five-round unanimous decision to Superlek at ONE 165 in Tokyo in January of 2024, and suffered a ghastly leg injury because of 'The Kicking Machine's handywork.

Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Superlek shared what went through his mind after that harrowing loss.

'Natural Born Krusher' said:

"Well, after a while, all I could think of was getting back into the winning column, so I was more focused on how to get back in the ring and earning another victory than on the prospect of my career."

Segawa has since bounced back from his defeat to Superlek, redeeming himself with a much-needed win over Thant Zin. Now, 'Natural Born Krusher' is ready to take on his toughest foe yet.

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Takeru Segawa battles Rodtang Jitmuangnon at ONE 172 in flyweight kickboxing super-fight

'Natural Born Krusher' Takeru Segawa is set to throw down with former ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion 'The Iron Man' Rodtang Jitmuangnon of Thailand in a ONE flyweight kickboxing super-fight of epic proportions.

The two trade leather in their five-round main event at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang, which is set to broadcast live from the iconic Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, this Sunday, March 23rd.

Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live via global pay-per-view by visiting watch.onefc.com.

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding the event as it happens.