WATCH: Japanese legend Takeru Segawa hits the gym with kickboxing champs Shintaro Matsukura, Koki

Japanese kickboxing legend Takeru Segawa is slowly getting himself back in shape after a grueling five-round war with Superlek Kiatmoo9.

Making his ONE Championship debut at ONE 165 in Tokyo, Japan, ‘The Natural Born Crusher’ delivered an entertaining back-and-forth war with Superlek in an early Fight of the Year contender.

After 15 minutes of action, ‘The Kicking Machine’ retained the ONE flyweight kickboxing world title after spending the majority of the bout busting up Takeru’s lead leg.

Two months removed from their instant classic, Takeru is back in the gym and working alongside WPMF super middleweight champion Shintaro Matsukara and former Krush bantamweight champion Koki:

“Practicing together after a long time 🔥 Doing it with everyone just lifts me up!! Let's try our best to get back in shape little by little.”

No anticipated return date has been revealed for the Japanese superstar but with ONE Championship expected to return to 'The Land of the Rising Sun' later this year, there’s a good chance we could see him back inside the ring, competing in front of his home country once again.

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Takeru Segawa is ready for a showdown with ‘The Iron Man’ Rodtang

As for who Takeru could potentially face in his highly anticipated return, there appears to be just one man on his mind:

“I was often told that we had the same fighting style,” Takeru said of ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon during a press appearance. “I first heard that there was a fighter in Thailand who had a fighting style like Takeru's, 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.”

If you missed any of the action or want to relive an epic night in ONE Championship history, the ONE 165 replay can be watched on demand via watch.onefc.com.