“I can defeat their hero” – Superlek raring to silence the pro-Takeru crowd at ONE 165 in Japan

Superlek Kiatmoo9 doesn’t mind taking on an antagonistic role as long as he retains his ONE flyweight kickboxing world championship.

‘The Kicking Machine’ will enter enemy territory in the main event of ONE 165 this Sunday, January 28, against Japanese sensation Takeru Segawa.

Given ‘The Natural Born Crusher’s' undeniable charisma and popularity, Superlek already anticipates a gritty battle with the hometown favorite inside Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.

Apart from the Thai fighter’s desire to keep his 26 pounds of gold, Superlek said he’s also looking forward to making a statement against a high-caliber challenger.

The 28-year-old striking savant told ONE in an exclusive interview:

“I have a lot of motivation for this fight. I get to defend my belt in Japan against the top-ranked fighter there. I want to show all the Japanese people that I can defeat their hero.”

Superlek is coming off the biggest win of his decorated career in his last outing. He outclassed fellow ONE world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon in an absolute classic at ONE Friday Fights 34 last year.

Needless to say, the Kiatmoo9 Gym star’s confidence is at an all-time high at the moment.

Superlek will look to grow his legend even more by beating another world-class fighter like Takeru Segawa.

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Superlek confident his kicks will get the better of Takeru’s punches

What makes this colossal showdown more intriguing is the clash of styles between the two combatants.

It’s no secret that Superlek dissects his foes with his lethal kicking repertoire, using his Muay Thai base to pepper opponents from a distance.

Takeru, on the other hand, has explosive kicks of his own, but truly shines in the pocket where he unloads a barrage of lightning-fast punch combinations.

In the same interview, Superlek bared his belief that Takeru won’t be able to mount his offense once he feels the power of his signature weapon:

“My stronger points would be my more powerful kicks. My kicks are powerful and can be effective against anyone. So, I could kick his legs to stop him from moving or slow him down.”

ONE 165: Superlek vs. Takeru will air live on Sunday, January 28, via global pay-per-view on watch.onefc.com.