Johan Ghazali says Takeru’s warrior spirit makes him a winner even in defeat: “The loss is just on the record”

Win or lose, Takeru Segawa embodies the warrior's spirit every time he steps inside the ring.

On Sunday, March 23, 'The Natural Born Crusher' will be back in action as ONE Championship descends upon the iconic Saitama Super Arena in Japan for ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang.

In the main event of the evening, the three-division K-1 champion will finally go toe-to-toe with 'The Iron Man' in a fight that fans have been clamoring to see for years.

Though the fight will be contested under kickboxing rules — a sport that Takeru has dominated for over 15 years — Rodtang is considered by many to be the favorite. That includes teen phenom Johan Ghazali who sees 'The Iron Man' coming out on top in The Land of the Rising Sun.

But whether Takeru wins or loses at ONE 172, Ghazali believes that 'The Natural Born Crusher' will always be a winner in the eyes of the fans.

"Yeah. Every fight he’s always performing," Ghazali said in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA. "He never loses. The lost is just on the record, but when you put on a show like Takeru does, he’s always a winner, you get what I mean? He loses on paper, but you can tell he always gives it his 100 percent."

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Takeru looks to hand Rodtang his first kickboxing loss in ONE Championship

While Takeru's first go inside the Circle was a rough one, coming up short against current two-sport king Superlek Kiatmoo9 at ONE 165 last year, the Japanese fan favorite closed out his 2024 with an incredible come-from-behind knockout against Thant Zin at ONE Friday Fights 81.

Now, he'll look to do what only one other man has done before and hand Rodtang a loss on martial arts' biggest global stage.

'The Iron Man' makes his first appearance of 2025 on the heels of back-to-back wins over Denis Puric and Jacob Smith. ONE 172 will be just his fourth time competing in a kickboxing bout in ONE Championship, but so far, he's looking nothing short of spectacular in eight-ounce gloves, going 3-0 including wins over Tagir Khalilov, Jiduo Yibu, and the aforementioned 'Bosnian Menace.'

Who comes out on top when two of the best pound-for-pound strikers in the world square off in The Land of the Rising Sun?

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.