"Damn this is intense" - Fans feels the sheer tension that enveloped Rodtang and Takeru's face-off at ONE 172's press conference

Ahead of its highly anticipated return to Japan with ONE 172 later this week, ONE Championship kicked off fight week with a press conference, where all eyes were locked on Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Takeru Segawa.

It's easy to understand why many are looking forward to seeing these two clash in a five-round flyweight kickboxing super-fight, headlining the aforementioned spectacle at the legendary Saitama Super Arena on Sunday, March 23.

The high-profile matchup was initially set to take place over a year ago at ONE 165. Unfortunately, Rodtang was forced to withdraw from the bout due to a hand injury he sustained in training.

As a result, Superlek Kiatmoo9 filled in for Rodtang, successfully defending his ONE flyweight kickboxing world title against Takeru in a five-round war of attrition on a star-studded card held at Tokyo's Ariake Arena.

Just when everybody thought that the dream encounter had vanished into thin air, fate intervened. Takeru reignited the possibility with a stunning come-from-behind knockout victory over Thant Zin at ONE Friday Fights 81 in September 2024.

Shortly after, the excitement reached a fever pitch as Rodtang entered the ring and engaged in an intense face-off with Takeru, reaffirming the fans' unwavering interest in the showdown.

The electrifying moment mirrored their intense staredown months earlier during ONE 172's kick-off press conference, further fueling anticipation for their long-awaited clash.

That same energy carried over to social media, as the comment section erupted when ONE shared their face-off on Instagram.

One of them wrote:

"Damn this is intense"

Fan comments

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Rodtang on weight watch for ONE 172

ONE 172's press conference signals that a blockbuster duel between Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Takeru Segawa is finally on the horizon. However, before the Thai megastar can step inside the ring, he must first clear a crucial hurdle.

Rodtang has struggled with weight management in his last two outings, with the most costly setback coming at ONE 169 in November 2024. There, he was forced to relinquish his ONE flyweight Muay Thai world title on the scales after missing weight for his rematch against Jacob Smith.

Determined to avoid another misstep, "The Iron Man" has enlisted renowned sports nutritionist Peter Miller to ensure that he meets the flyweight limit for what is arguably the biggest fight of his career.

ONE 172 will air live worldwide via pay-per-view through watch.onefc.com.