WATCH: Rodtang buries the hatchet with Takeru backstage after his stunning KO win at ONE 172

ONE Championship fighters pride themselves on their fighting prowess, but it is also important to remember they hold each other in high regard. Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Takeru Segawa perfectly embodied this sentiment following their marquee matchup at ONE 172 on Sunday, March 23.

In a video shared by the world's largest martial arts promotion on Instagram, the former ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion visited the Japanese icon in his locker room and posed for photos. The pair then shared a short moment acknowledging each other's greatness before parting ways.

Watch the entire video below:

Rodtang and 'The Natural Born Krusher' had the honor of closing out the stacked 13-fight card at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. While many expected a five-round showcase of elite striking from both men, 'The Iron Man' instead delivered an 80-second knockout of the hometown hero.

Despite having one of the most heated lead-ups to a fight in ONE's recent history, the mutual respect that Rodtang and Takeru showed towards each other is one of many reasons why fans around the world look up to them.

---

Rodtang makes good on his pre-fight prediction ahead of ONE 172

Knocking out Takeru in front of his home crowd was an impressive feat for Rodtang, but it was an outcome he confidently predicted days before the event. In an interview with ONE, the Jitmuangnon Gym product declared:

"I want everyone to wait and stay tuned. If I have a chance to win by knockout. I want to win by knockout for the bonus."

The 27-year-old megastar manifested his words into reality as ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong awarded him a $50,000 performance bonus alongside three other ONE 172 competitors.

The full replay of ONE 172 is available via watch.onefc.com.