"Even if you lose, they'll still cheer on you" - Takeru thanks ONE fans for embracing him even after losing to Superlek

Takeru Segawa's first introduction to ONE Championship at ONE 165 last January didn't go according to plan.

However, despite falling short against two-weight and two-sport world champion Superlek Kiatmoo9, the Japanese star earned the love and adulation of millions of fans all over the world.

Truth be told, it's hard not to root for Takeru after he showcased undying grit, determination, and world-class skills against arguably the pound-for-pound best striker in the world.

That unconditional support even motivated the Team Vasileus star to bounce back in his most recent outing against Thant Zin.

With the raucous crowd at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand behind him, Takeru pulled off a stunning comeback win at ONE Friday Fights 81. He said in his post-event interview:

"It’s very important for me because having someone cheering on me, makes [me] want to keep fighting. After that loss to Superlek, I learned that ONE Championship fans, even if you lose, they’ll still cheer on you. They’ll still support you, especially the Thai fans. I’m very happy about that."

'The Natural Born Crusher' furthered:

"Also, even though I cannot speak Thai, I can’t communicate with them, they still cheered for me. Also, thank you for the support from the Japanese fans, having those cheers, having those supporting me kept me working hard and kept me not giving up."

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Takeru shares how he weathered knockdown scare from Thant Zin

Early on, it looked like Takeru was on his way to a second consecutive loss after getting caught by a brutal left haymaker from the hard-hitting Thant Zin.

However, 'Tha Natural Born Crusher' simply shook off the cobwebs, got right back up, and delivered an epic bludgeoning to return the favor.

The Japanese ace told Nick Atkin afterward:

"It was just like a flash. It wasn’t too big of a damage. In my head, it’s just like, how do I give the same damage back to him?"

The replay of ONE Friday Fights 81 is available at watch.onefc.com for those who purchased the PPV.