“I'll be number one in the world” - Takeru says beating Rodtang at ONE 172 will cement his legacy as an all-time great

Japanese kickboxing legend Takeru Segawa has accomplished a lot in his illustrious career. He, however, believes that a win over Thai superstar Rodtang Jitmuangnon in their marquee showdown this week will take his legacy to a whole new level.

'The Natural Born Krusher' is set to take on 'The Iron Man' in a much-awaited flyweight kickboxing match at ONE 172 on March 23. It is the headlining contest of the event, happening at the Saitama Super Arena and marking the return of ONE Championship to Japan for the second straight year.

At the press conference for ONE 172, Takeru, a former three-division champion at K-1 before moving to ONE Championship in 2023, shared his reason for joining the 'Home of Martial Arts' and the significance of his showdown with Rodtang.

He said:

"So, I debuted, fighting in K-1 since the debut, and won three division championships, and for my career as a last challenge, I chose ONE Championship as the last challenge. And the reason why I was challenged is because of Rodtang. He's number one. He's been a champion for a long time, and if I beat Rodtang, I'll be number one in the world. So, this is my reason for the challenge."

The duel between the two martial arts icons was initially penciled in to take place in January last year also in Japan as Takeru's ONE debut. Rodtang, however, had to withdraw in the lead-up because of a hand injury.

ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang is available live on pay-per-view via watch.onefc.com.

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Takeru vows to go full blast in match against Rodtang

Aware of the significance of a win over Rodtang in their showdown at ONE 172, Takeru Segawa vows to give a "masterpiece" performance.

The Yanago City native underscored it in an interview with ONE Championship in an open workout, highlighting how he intends to unleash his full arsenal that made him a multiple-time K-1 champion.

Takeru said:

"When I said this will be my masterpiece fight - I've fought as a champion, in K-1, representing Japan. This time, I want to fight exactly how I want to."

At ONE 172, Takeru will build on the impressive bounce-back victory he had in his last match in September, where he knocked rising Burmese star Thant Zin. The win came after he lost in his ONE debut in January to Thai superstar Superlek Kiatmoo9.