“It really made me angry” - Superlek reveals the exact moment he turned it on against Takeru Segawa

Superlek Kiatmoo9 recalls the exact moment he wanted to punish Takeru Segawa inside the Circle.

In January 2024, the K-1 kickboxing star made his highly anticipated ONE Championship debut, challenging Superlek for the ONE flyweight kickboxing world championship at ONE 165 inside the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.

Though 'The Natural Born Crusher' put up one hell of a fight, it was the Thai who ultimately came out on top, securing a unanimous decision victory to retain his 26 pounds of gold.

In the process, he battered and bruised Takeru's lead leg so badly that the Japanese icon had to spend several weeks on the shelf to heal.

Looking back on their history-making clash, 'The Kicking Machine' revealed the mid-fight moment that urged him to turn up the heat and take it to Takeru. Speaking to Nickynachat, Superlek said:

"When we’re fighting [vs Takeru]. He kicked me in the face. It really made me angry deep down. Winning or losing doesn’t matter, I just want to get back at them at once."

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Superlek puts his Muay Thai gold on the line against Nabil Anane at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang

Since then, Superlek has become a two-sport titleholder, claiming the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world championship with his stunning 49-second knockout of Jonathan Haggerty at ONE 168: Denver.

Now, 'The Kicking Machine' is set to defend his Muay Thai gold against one of the division's fastest-rising talents—Nabil Anane.

It will be the second-ever meeting between Anane and Superlek.

The first time around, the Kiatmoo9 Gym athlete needed only 123 seconds to finish the up-and-comer.

Since then, Anane has won six straight, earning his opportunity to run it back with the divisional king and two-sport world champion when he shockingly TKO'd Scottish fan favorite Nico Carrillo at ONE 170 to claim the ONE interim bantamweight Muay Thai world title.

That victory set the stage for a massive title unification clash when ONE Championship heads to the legendary Saitama Super Arena in Japan on Sunday, March 23, for ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang.

Will Anane trade in his interim title for undisputed gold, or will 'The Kicking Machine' add another impressive win to his already stellar resume?

ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang will emanate from the Saitama Super Arena in Japan on Sunday, March 23. Head over to watch.onefc.com to learn more about how you can watch the event live.