“The anticipation has also built up” - Takeru says delay in long-awaited showdown with Rodtang worked out better for him

Japanese kickboxing legend Takeru Segawa believes the wait for his long-awaited clash against Rodtang Jitmuangnon has worked in his favor.

Immediately after announcing he had signed with ONE Championship in 2023, fight fans were clamoring for a showdown between 'The Natural Born Crusher' and 'The Iron Man' — two of the greatest strikers in all combat sports.

As it turns out, fans will have to wait a little longer than expected, but we now know that their highly anticipated encounter will go down on Sunday, March 23, when ONE Championship heads back to Japan for a loaded ONE 172 card inside the legendary Saitama Super Arena.

Speaking at the ONE 172 press conference in Tokyo about the recently announced bout, Takeru discussed the delay in booking their fight and the opportunity it gave him to acclimate to ONE Championship's unique environment.

"While it would have been good to face Rodtang in my ONE debut, it's better that I've now adapted to ONE's rules, gloves, ring, and conditions through various experiences," he said. "This was a necessary period for me. The anticipation has also built up. This too was destiny."

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Takeru and Rodtang go into ONE 172 on the heels of some impressive wins

Making his promotional debut at ONE 165 in his native Japan, Takeru went five entertaining rounds with reigning two-sport king Superlek Kiatmoo9. And while 'The Natural Born Crusher' came up short on the scorecards, he quickly showed the world that he is capable of competing with the best of the best from any promotion.

Since then, Takeru has bounced back with an impressive second-round knockout of Thant Zin at ONE Friday Fights 81 in September.

Meanwhile, 'The Iron Man' has put together back-to-back wins since his loss against Superlek last year. Rodtang delivered a dominant showing against 'The Bosnian Menace' Denis Puric followed by another big win against top-five-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender Jacob Puric.

Who comes out on top when two of the best P4P strikers on the planet finally meet on martial arts' biggest global stage?

ONE 172 will emanate from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on Sunday, March 23. Early bird tickets for the event will be available on Dec. 20 in Japan and Jan. 11 for the rest of the world.