Takeru reveals he “could not get up from the sofa” for weeks following his heartbreaking loss to Superlek in ONE debut

Takeru Segawa had a rude welcome when he first stepped into the ONE Championship ring, and it was a defeat that he admitted haunted him for quite some time.

The Japanese kickboxing legend suffered a heartbreaker of a unanimous decision defeat to Superlek Kiatmoo9 when he challenged for the ONE flyweight kickboxing world title in the main event of ONE 165 at Ariake Arena in Tokyo.

Despite the support from his home fans, Takeru fell to Superlek in the January 2024 card, leaving a scar that lingered on his memory.

Takeru told ONE Championship in an interview about the process he went through to recover from the physical and mental damage he received from Superlek.

"Yes, I fought so hard and lost, receiving a thorough thrashing in the process. I could not get up from the sofa for about two weeks following the fight," he said.

Nevertheless, Takeru eventually got back into form and showed his pedigree in his sophomore appearance in ONE Championship.

Takeru, after recovering from the multiple muscle tears he suffered at ONE 165, returned to the ring at ONE Friday Fights 81 to take on Burmese knockout merchant Thant Zin.

'The Natural Born Krusher' showed off his trademark grit when he recovered from an early knockdown in the first round to completely dismantle Thant Zin in the second.

Takeru loaded up on his power and dropped Thant Zin with a gut-wrenching toe kick to the midsection with less than a minute left in the middle round.

He finished things off with a blinding boxing combination that ultimately crumpled the rising star.

Takeru now looks to build on that momentum when he takes on Rodtang Jitmuangnon in a flyweight kickboxing super fight in the main event of ONE 172 on Sunday at the historic Saitama Super Arena.

ONE 172 is available live on pay-per-view at watch.onefc.com.

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Takeru wants to cap off a Japanese route at ONE 172

ONE 172 doesn't just hold a profound professional impact on Takeru Segawa, it also has a personal grip on the Japanese superstar.

ONE Championship's return to Japan will feature 12 Japanese fighters in the 14 fights, and Takeru wants to book a perfect 12-0 night for his country.

"I'm happy to be part of such a lineup. I've wanted to do [this match] for a long time. I've had many hardships in my fighting career, but I feel blessed now," he said during his open workouts in Tokyo.

Takeru added:

"As the main event fighter, I want to witness everyone's victories and then properly win my fight and repay everyone."