"He'll just stand and bang" - Johan Ghazali predicts 'pure violence' from Rodtang in Takeru showdown at ONE 172

Johan Ghazali believes Rodtang Jitmuangnon will be at his best when he goes toe-to-toe with Takeru Segawa in the star attraction of ONE 172 inside the Saitama Super Arena. 'The Iron Man,' a former ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion, is gearing up for a five-round kickboxing duel against the former three-division K-1 world champion on Sunday, March 23.

It has been a fight that fans have been clamoring for since the Japanese kickboxer joined the world's largest martial arts organization in April 2023. Though their first fight at ONE 165 in Tokyo last year fell through the window due to an injury to 'The Iron Man,' all signs are looking clear for this epic super fight to take place in a matter of weeks.

Sportskeeda MMA caught up with Johan Ghazali to get his thoughts on this fight. The Malaysian-American fighter believes Rodtang's aggressive nature will be an absolute nightmare for Takeru to deal with, as he said:

"I think he'll just stand and bang with Takeru. He'll try to make it pure violence, you know, like he always does. I don't think Takeru can stay in the pocket with him."

Fight fans can head to watch.onefc.com to purchase the pay-per-view for ONE 172 in Saitama, Japan.

---

Johan Ghazali predicts a masterclass from another Thai striking genius in Japan

Before Takeru and Rodtang share the Circle and bring an end to years of wait, Tawanchai PK Saenchai and Masaaki Noiri will lock horns to determine the ONE interim featherweight kickboxing world champion.

Just as he sees Takeru being at the mercy of Rodtang's Muay Thai-heavy game, Johan Ghazali thinks Masaaki Noiri will only play second fiddle to Tawanchai's stand-up arsenal in Japan.

He dissected this war during the same exchange with Sportskeeda, saying:

"His age aside, his experience in fighting will show in this fight. He's just so experienced. You look at the guys he's fought, and it's hard to say he hasn't fought anyone who probably doesn't fight like Noiri. He's faced it all. So yeah, his age or youth, and his experience [will be the difference]."