“He just kept coming” - Johan Ghazali in awe of Takeru’s resilience and mental fortitude to fight through pain

18-year-old Malaysian Muay Thai sensation 'Jojo' Johan Ghazali is in a fortunate situation, having the privilege to grow as a fighter among the best martial arts athletes in the world in ONE Championship.

There are many big names the teenage star looks up to in the world's largest martial arts organization, and one of them is none other than former multi-time K-1 kickboxing world champion 'The Natural Born Crusher' Takeru Segawa of Japan.

The 18-year-old looks up to his Japanese contemporary as someone to be respected and someone from whom he can learn a lot.

Speaking to Sportskeeda MMA in an exclusive interview, Ghazali talked about Takeru's best qualities, and why he thinks 'The Natural Born Crusher' is such a special talent.

'Jojo' said:

"One thing you can never take away from Takeru is his heart. His heart is very, very big. He always wants to win. He always wants to fight. He always wants to put on a show. Heck, even when he was getting his leg beaten up to bits by Superlek, he just kept coming."

Needless to say, Takeru is one of the biggest stars in ONE Championship, and fans won't have to wait long to see the Japanese kickboxing icon back in action.

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Takeru Segawa lands Rodtang Jitmuangnon super-fight for ONE 172 in Japan

'The Natural Born Crusher' Takeru Segawa of Japan is ready to take on former ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion 'The Iron Man' Rodtang Jitmuangnon in one of the most anticipated matchups of the year.

The two trade strikes in a five-round flyweight kickboxing super-fight, scheduled for the main event of ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang.

The event will be broadcast live from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, on Sunday, March 23.

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

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding the Rodtang vs. Takeru fight.