“The best thing” - Takeru says ONE 172 in Saitama Super Arena was a special night for martial arts in Japan

Though things didn't go Takeru's way at ONE 172, 'The Natural Born Crusher' still believes the event was nothing short of special.

Headlining one of the biggest fight cards in ONE Championship history, Takeru returned to the ring for a showdown with Thai superstar Rodtang Jitmuangnon in the evening's main event.

Unfortunately, it all came crashing down for Takeru about 80 seconds into the scrap with 'The Iron Man' uncorked a hellish left hand that sent the former three-division K-1 champion crashing to the canvas.

Speaking at the ONE 172 post-fight press conference, Takeru still recognized that Sunday's card inside the Saitama Super Arena was a history-making night that absolutely delivered for fight fans in Japan.

"That’s the best thing I can say," Takeru said. "I really really appreciate that [ONE 172] was held in Japan, and all the Japanese fans who were able to see all the fighters from around the world that we usually cannot get to see."

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Takeru desperately tried to get up after being knocked down by Rodtang

As spectacular as Rodtang's first-round knockout of Takeru was to witness, it was a heartbreaking moment for 'The Natural Born Crusher' and his fans.

Looking back on the brutal left hook that ended things, Takeru recalled desperately trying to get back to his feet, but his body simply wouldn't cooperate.

"I was waiting to recover, but then, at that time, I tried to push myself hard to stand up. But then I can’t say what was going to happen. It was really hard to explain. I can just say that I was weak."

What's next for Takeru remains to be seen, but the beloved kickboxing star still has plenty of options and a laundry list of fighters eager to test themselves against one of the P4P best in eight-ounce gloves.

If you missed any of the action, you can watch the full ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang replay on demand via watch.onefc.com.