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Former multi-time K-1 kickboxing world champion and current second-ranked ONE Championship flyweight kickboxing contender 'Natural Born Krusher' Takeru Segawa of Japan believes he would have beaten Thai megastar Superlek Kiatmoo9 last year if not for a broken leg.
The pair met at ONE 165 in Tokyo in January of 2024, where Superlek took home a dominant five-round unanimous decision after battering Takeru's lead leg with a plethora of thunderous kicks.
Following the affair, Takeru revealed his mangled thigh on social media.
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He spoke about the ordeal in a recent interview with ONE Championship:
"Well, I felt that I was entrusted with carrying and representing the Japanese kickboxing world, so I knew I had to win. But I must also admit that I had spent my whole fight camp preparing to fight Rodtang, as he had been the originally scheduled opponent. Having to adjust to fighting Superlek on short notice was challenging."
Takeru added:
"Come fight time, I broke my knee early in the fight after trying to block his kick, which made it very difficult for me to stand firmly and fully commit to my strikes. Also, it left me vulnerable to his subsequent onslaught of kicks. I fought through adversity until the very end but loss is a loss so I was disappointed in myself for letting everyone down."
Takeru Segawa returns to face Rodtang Jitmuangnon in super-fight at ONE 172 in Japan
'Natural Born Krusher' Takeru Segawa has since recovered from his loss to Superlek, and bounced back with a victory over Thant Zin. Now, he's ready to face his toughest opponent yet.
Takeru will lock horns with former ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion 'The Iron Man' Rodtang Jitmuangnon of Thailand in a highly anticipated flyweight kickboxing super-fight.
The two face off in a five-round main event showdown at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang, which is set to broadcast live from the iconic Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, this Sunday, March 23rd.
Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live via global pay-per-view by visiting watch.onefc.com.
Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding the event as it happens.
