Japanese star Takeru wants to build another school after megafight with Rodtang at ONE 172

Japanese kickboxing star Takeru Segawa plans on using the payday from his upcoming clash against Rodtang Jitmuangnon to help build another school for underprivileged children in Laos.

Aside from his work as a world-class striker on martial arts' biggest global stage, 'The Natural Born Crusher' is known for his philanthropy. Recently, Takeru revealed that he is in the process of having a school built for children in Vietnam and he hopes to build another in Laos following his impending showdown with 'The Iron Man' at ONE 172 on Sunday, March 23.

"I’m building a school in Vietnam, and it should be completed by April," he told Nick Atkin of The Bangkok Post. "So I will have an opening ceremony in April next year. That will be after the fight with Rodtang, so I want to use that fight money to build another school in Laos."

Asked about potentially building a school in Thailand where he sometimes trains and competes for ONE Championship, Takeru said:

"If there is any poor area, I would consider doing it."

Recently, the former three-division K-1 champion spent the holidays in Laos giving kickboxing lessons to local children and donating school supplies to those in need.

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Takeru and Rodtang gear up for one of the most anticipated fights in ONE history

After going five rounds with two-sport titleholder Superlek Kiatmoo9 in his promotional debut last January, Takeru scored the first win of his ONE run at ONE Friday Fights 81, landing a sensational come-from-behind KO against Thant Zin.

That victory set the stage for his scrap with Rodtang — that and an intense showdown between the two combat sports icons immediately following Takeru's big win.

Rodtang goes into their long-awaited clash at the legendary Saitama Super Arena with back-to-back wins in his last two outings, the first coming against 'The Bosnian Menace' at ONE 167 in June.

'The Iron Man' followed that with another dominant performance against top-five-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender Jacob Smith in November.

Who comes out on top when the irresistible force meets the immovable object in The Land of the Rising Sun?

ONE 172 will emanate from the Saitama Super Arena in Japan on Sunday, March 23. Visit ONE Championship’s official website to sign up for early bird tickets to one of the most anticipated events of 2025.