“Fatigue and damage are maxed out” - Takeru reaching top shape heading into ONE 165 world title challenge against Superlek

The long-awaited ONE Championship debut of Japanese kickboxing star Takeru Segawa is growing ever-closer, and the hype around it is certainly growing palpable.

Since his professional kickboxing debut in 2008, 'The Natural Born Crusher' has found nothing but success over the course of his career. He has won 41 matches, 25 via either TKO or knockout, alongside a fearsome 35-fight winning streak that includes wins over the likes of Kaito Ozawa, Daniel Puertas, and Petchdam Petchkiapetch.

In a somewhat fated occurrence, Takeru will be the star attraction of ONE Championship’s third return to Japan. He will feature in the main event of ONE 165 on January 28 at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo. There, he will challenge Superlek Kiatmoo9 for the ONE flyweight kickboxing world championship after original opponent Rodtang Jitmuangnon withdrew due to injury.

With barely two weeks remaining before the event, Takeru recently shared a clip of his training via Instagram, with a caption showcasing his intentions of beating Superlek:

“One more week left of the long chase. Fatigue and damage are maxed out, but I'm still in the mood at the end. We will surely win.”

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Takeru opens up on emotions heading into big bout

Because of how dominant Takeru is when he gets in the zone, few would ever think that the near-unstoppable kickboxing machine would ever feel any type of pressure.

And yet, that is exactly what he revealed recently, admitting that he knows just how much pressure is on his shoulders to win in front of his hometown crowd.

Check your local listings or visit ONE Championship's official website on how to watch ONE 165 from your location. Fans in the United States and Canada can catch the event via pay-per-view on watch.onefc.com.