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Japanese kickboxing legend Takeru Segawa hopes that a decisive win over Thant Zin at ONE Friday Fights 81 will put him in line for a couple of big-money fights.
After going toe-to-toe with Superlek Kiatmoo9 in an instant classic at ONE 165 in Tokyo, 'The Natural Born Crusher' heads to the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok for a flyweight kickboxing showdown with Myanmar sensation Thant Zin.
Their highly anticipated clash will go down as part of a loaded pay-per-view event this Friday, Sept. 27.
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With a win over the 19-year-old striker from Myanmar, Takeru hopes that he'll be in line for either a rematch with 'The Kicking Machine' or a long-awaited clash with reigning ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon.
“Regardless of who the opponent is, I just need to win so I can get back to the position to fight Superlek or Rodtang again," he told ONE Championship.
Takeru knows he's in for a tough test against Thant Zin at ONE Friday Fights 81
After completing his training camp in his native Japan, Takeru recently hopped a plane to The Land of Smiles where he'll meet his next opponent. While, the former three-division K-1 champion has every intention of returning to his home country with a win, 'The Natural Born Crusher' knows that'll be no easy task against a fight with youth and momentum on his side.
"He's a young fighter, so he'll have momentum," Takeru added. "I'll be careful of that while sticking to my own fighting style. Since he's an aggressive type, I want to win by KO."
Thus far, Thant Zin has an unbeaten record under the ONE Championship banner, besting Jaising Sitnayokpunsak and Tai Sor Jor Piek Uthai via back-to-back knockouts.
Will Thant Zin score the biggest win of his combat sports career on Friday night, or will Takeru Segawa bag his first win in ONE and set the stage for a clash with one of ONE Championship's most beloved champions?
ONE Friday Fights 81 will air live and exclusively on pay-per-view on Friday, Sept. 27 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. You can purchase the event exclusively on the official ONE Championship website.
