Takeru Segawa says beating Rodtang Jitmuangnon isn’t meant to one-up Tenshin Nasukawa

As he prepares to make his ONE Championship debut in one of the biggest fights of the year, Takeru Segawa couldn’t help but reference a previous rival of his.

Having made his name in Japan as one of the top kickboxers on the planet, the 31-year old has already built an incredible career that has left fans wanting to see him compete inside the Circle.

After years of speculation and hypothetical contests that fans never thought they would see, the star finally arrived in ONE Championship as one of the biggest signings in the promotion’s history.

Back in Japan, he played his part in one of the biggest fights that Asian combat sports has ever seen, colliding with fellow star, Tenshin Nasukawa, after the two seemed on a collision course throughout their careers.

Nasukawa emerged victorious in their contest last year and Takeru now has his sights on another match-up that fans have been dying to see for a long time.

Targeting the biggest fight out there for him on his debut, he has spoken a lot about facing off with ONE’s flyweight Muay Thai king Rodtang Jitmuangnon.

With his former rival previously having faced Rodtang and defeated him, the newest addition to the roster feels like he has a point to prove in finally meeting ‘The Iron Man’ face-to-face.

In an interview with ONE Championship, he spoke about his motivation to face Rodtang and how the fight has added motivation for him personally with his former foe holding a win over the flyweight champ:

“If Tenshin won by decision in the 5-round and extension round, and I can defeat Rodtang by KO, it's not about proving that I'm stronger than Tenshin, but it would be a passing grade for myself as a martial artist and give me a reason to continue being a martial artist.”