“Just the beginning of the story” – Chatri Sityodtong on ‘fascinating’ bad blood between Rodtang, Tenshin & Takeru

ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong is intrigued by the long history between combat sports icons Rodtang Jitmuangnon, Takeru Segawa and Tenshin Nasukawa.

Recently announced by Sityodtong as a press event in Japan, Takeru, the K-1 kickboxing icon and consensus No.1 P4P fighter in the world, will make his long-awaited ONE debut in January against arguably the most lethal striker in the art of eight limbs, Rodtang.

‘The Iron Man’ currently reigns as the ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion, but Rodtang will trade in his four-ounce gloves for a pair of eight-ounce ones, setting the stage for a five-round kickboxing superfight in Tokyo at ONE 165 inside Tokyo’s Ariake Arena.

Speaking about the highly anticipated showdown between Rodtang and the ‘Natural Born Crusher,’ Sityodtong believes that this fight will be just the beginning.

“This fight is going to be five rounds," Sityodtong said at a press event in Japan. "It’s a superfight between two of the greatest strikers on the planet, three-minute rounds for five rounds. For me, this fight is just the beginning of the story.”

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Rodtang and Takeru’s history with Tenshin adds another level of intrigue to ONE 165 showdown

Connecting Rodtang and Takeru even before they were scheduled to face one another is Japanese kickboxer and mixed martial artist Tenshin Nasukawa.

Rodtang famously competed against Tenshin in June 2018, with ‘Prodigy’ coming out on top via decision, though the victory did come with a bit of controversy.

Tenshin also earned a decision victory over Takeru in June 2022, adding an extra level of intrigue to the battle between Rodtang and the ‘Natural Born Crusher’ next year.

“As everyone knows, there is history between Rodtang and Tenshin, and Takeru and Tenshin,” Sityodtong continued. “Different people have different opinion, but my personal opinion, as a martial artist, I thought Rodtang beat Tenshin. Of course, Tenshin beat Takeru. So there is a triangle here that is very fascinating and interesting for fans.”

You can catch ONE 165 live and for free on ONE Championship’s YouTube channel and the ONE Super App on January 28.