"I felt his mental strength" - Takeru says Superlek's mental fortitude taught him what it means to be a ONE world champion

Takeru Segawa was pumped to back his hype and prove why he's one of the biggest names in kickboxing history when he made his ONE Championship debut against Superlek Kiatmoo9 at ONE 165 in Tokyo, Japan, this past January. Unfortunately, fate had other plans.

The former three-division K-1 world champion was handed a harsh reality check against 'The Kicking Machine's' striking masterclass inside the sold-out Ariake Arena. While he did his best to impress, the Kiatmoo9 Gym man looked one class above the Tokyo-based fighter the deeper the fight went.

Despite getting his tenure off to a forgettable start and taking a bruised leg that kept him out of action for half a year, Takeru has plenty of positives to take from his ONE flyweight kickboxing world title encounter with the divisional king.

In particular, the 33-year-old points to Superlek's ability to handle his barrage of strikes as a trait that he'd need if he aims to conquer similar heights in the promotion. Speaking to ONE Championship, 'The Natural Born Crusher' said:

"Superlek could deal with my pressure, and even when I landed a body shot in the third round, that would have dropped other fighters I've faced before. I felt his mental strength as he kept standing. I really experienced what it means to be a ONE world champion at that level, and it was a great experience."

The kickboxing icon will have a chance to get back into the winner's column when he returns to the Circle at ONE Friday Fights 81 on Sept. 27. There, he goes toe-to-toe with Burmese slugger Thant Zin in a flyweight kickboxing battle inside the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

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Takeru says he's in a do-or-die situation in Thant Zin encounter

While defeats are part of the game, Takeru knows a second in succession could all but end his hopes of reaching the pinnacle of the flyweight kickboxing division.

Given the stakes, the Team Vasileus martial artist says he finds himself in a do-or-die situation against the teenage sensation, who's racked up two finishes throughout his promotional tenure so far.

In the same interview with ONE, he noted:

"I joined ONE to aim for being the strongest in the world. So I really want this win. To fight at the top, I absolutely can't lose two in a row after losing the last one."

ONE Friday Fights 81 will be available via pay-per-view at watch.onefc.com.