Takeru Segawa wants to attract more attention to Japanese fighters

K-1 kickboxing legend Takeru Segawa hopes to bring more attention to Japanese fighters as he marches toward his long-awaited ONE Championship debut.

Takeru, regarded by many as the greatest kickboxer in the world, announced his signing with ONE last month, ending months of speculation and years of fantasy matchups suddenly a reality. Appearing at a ONE Championship press event in Tokyo, the three-division K-1 world champion spoke about using his platform with ONE to bring more attention to Japanese fighters.

“I am going to break into ONE as a representative of K-1,” Takeru said. “I think my success will attract more attention to Japanese fighters. I hope to create an opportunity for more and more Japanese fighters to be noticed in the world. First of all, I will definitely win my return fight [at MTGP in June] and do my best to be successful at ONE as well.”

Debuting as an amateur in 2007, Takeru went 8-1-1 before turning pro in 2010. Since then, he has amassed an impressive 41-3 record, with 24 of his victories coming by way of knockout. During his run, Takeru made history by becoming K-1’s first and only three-division world champion, capturing the super featherweight, featherweight, and super bantamweight championships.

Takeru Segawa has engaged in a war of words with ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon in recent years, with many fans only dreaming about a matchup between the two striking sensations. With both men now competing under the same banner, it feels like just a matter of time before the two Asian superstars square off inside the Circle.

Are you excited to see Takeru Segawa make his ONE Championship debut this year?