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Despite suffering a nasty leg injury in his ONE Championship debut, Japanese kickboxing legend Takeru Segawa is already back in training and preparing for his next fight.
Stepping inside the Circle at ONE 165 in Tokyo, Takeru squared off with reigning and defending ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion Superlek Kiatmoo9 in an early Fight of the Year contender. For five rounds, the two warriors went toe-to-toe with 'The Natural Born Crusher', nearly finishing things in the third round with a flurry of strikes.
However, it was Superlek's constant attacks on Takeru's lead leg that spelled the difference, earning him a unanimous decision victory.
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Weeks later, the Japanese star is already back in the gym, fighting through the pain, and improving his skills.
"I sleep a lot before I sleep," he wrote on Instagram.
No details have been revealed regarding his sophomore appearance inside the Circle, but with the promotion gearing up for a return to Japan, there's a good chance that we'll see Takeru compete in front of his home country sooner rather than later.
Takeru versus Rodtang is just a matter of time
As for who Takeru Segawa could face once healed up and ready to go, there appears to be only one name on the minds of ONE Championship fans — ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon.
'The Iron Man' has been linked to a fight with 'The Natural Born Crusher' for years, with fans seemingly split down the middle. With both men now under the ONE banner, it's just a matter of time before we see two of combat sports' greatest strikers go toe-to-toe.
“I was often told that we had the same fighting style," Takeru said referring to Rodtang during a press event late last year. "I first heard that there was a fighter in Thailand who had a fighting style like [mine], and I saw his match. Since that time, I have had a gut instinct that there is no one I would enjoy fighting more than this person.”
