“I felt liberated from any undue pressure” - Takeru shares the silver lining of his ONE debut loss to two-sport king Superlek 

Takeru Segawa is the type to always look at the bright side of things.

Admittedly, losing his ONE Championship debut against Superlek Kiatmoo9 last year was a tough pill to swallow.

After licking his wounds, the Japanese superstar managed to turn that painful lesson into motivation to continue giving his best on the global stage.

In an exclusive interview with ONE, the 33-year-old fan-favorite said his setback versus 'The Kicking Machine' taught him not to be too hard on himself.

"At the same time, I felt liberated from any undue pressure. In a way, I feel that I could approach fights with a more relaxed and sanguine manner.”

True enough, Takeru rose like a phoenix after that defeat and came back much stronger in his sophomore outing against the tough Thant Zin.

'The Natural Born Crusher' once again dealt with adversity against the heavy-handed Burmese warrior at ONE Friday Fights 81.

However, Takeru did not break and came back roaring with a highlight-reel-worthy comeback KO.

The Team Vasileus star will look to keep the momentum going as he approaches his dream fight at ONE 172: Takeru vs Rodtang.

On March 23, Takeru will bask in the cheers of his hometown crowd at Saitama Super Arena against arguably the biggest Muay Thai star of this generation, Rodtang Jitmuangnon.

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Chatri Sityodtong says Takeru vs Rodtang won't go the distance

Among those extremely excited for arguably one of the most sought-after striking matches in history is ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.

During the ONE 171 live broadcast last week, the promotion's head honcho guaranteed the judges wouldn't be needed when Takeru and Rodtang finally collide.

"Two of the pound-for-pound greatest strikers on the planet going head-to-head. Somebody’s going to get knocked out in Saitama next month. 100 percent."

Visit watch.onefc.com for more details about ONE 172: Takeru vs Rodtang.