Japanese kickboxing superstar Takeru Segawa has big plans for his career in ONE Championship. “The Natural Born Crusher” signed with the martial arts giant to much fanfare in 2023 and he was thrust straight into a ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Title fight against reigning divisional king Superlek Kiatmoo9 on debut. Although he came up short after five thrilling rounds of action, his goal remains the same.
At ONE Friday Fights 81: Superbon vs. Nattawut on September 27, the 33-year-old gets his chance to kick off a run back to the top when he faces late replacement Thant Zin in a flyweight kickboxing contest. The Burmese knockout artist stepped in to replace the injured Black Panther in what looms as a huge opportunity to build on his two crushing knockouts so far under the ONE banner.
For Takeru, Thant Zin looms as a perfect dance partner for an exciting performance at Bangkok, Thailand’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium.
“He’s the type to throw full-swing punches with a lot of power in single shots. Being from lethwei, he has physical strength and throws each punch with a clenched fist, so I need to be cautious of that. He’s a young fighter, so he’ll have momentum. I’ll be careful of that while sticking to my own fighting style. Since he’s an aggressive type, I want to win by KO,” Takeru told onefc.com.
ROCKED 💥 Can "The Natural Born Crusher" STOP Thant Zin on September 27 at ONE Friday Fights 81? 🥊 @takerusegawa#ONEFridayFights81 | Fri Sep 27 at 7:30PM ICT/8:30AM ET
🌍 Global PPV at https://t.co/eBUfsOlZOd pic.twitter.com/WU3zGYaCLu— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) September 19, 2024
After throwing down and proving that he can hang with the world’s best in his January debut at ONE 165, Takeru’s ambition is now to land another World Title opportunity and go one better. Since he joined the ONE roster, a potential matchup with Thai icon and long-time ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon has been the talk of the town.
As a former seven-time, three-division K-1 World Champion, Takeru knows what it takes to climb the mountain. A two-fight skid, he says, would leave him with a long road ahead.
“This is my comeback fight and my second ONE fight, so I really want my first win in ONE. Regardless of who the opponent is, I just need to win so I can get back to the position to fight Superlek or Rodtang [Jitmuangnon]. I joined ONE to aim for being the strongest in the world, so I really want this win. To fight at the top, I absolutely can’t lose two in a row after losing the last one. I need to keep showing that I’m worthy of being a ONE World Champion until I get there, so I will definitely win this next fight,” he said.
1 week to go🇹🇭
I will win.@ONEChampionship pic.twitter.com/QVbnwybDxL— 武尊 takeru (@takerusegawa) September 20, 2024
Takeru is noted for his aggression and power. While Superlek produced a masterful performance in shutting down those traits, Takeru vowed that he won’t hold back as he hunts his first win on the global stage with ONE. After all, only a spectacular finish will do if he wants to get his hands on Rodtang, or a rematch with “The Kicking Machine”.
“My resolve for fights is different from other fighters. I’ve always fought with the mindset that losing means it’s over, so I want to fight desperately to grab the win. There’s no next if I don’t win. That’s what I’ve always thought. I came to ONE to fight Rodtang and prove I’m the strongest in the world by beating him, so I need to win this fight to get there. I need to win in a way that’s worthy of that goal,” he said.
Watch the ONE Friday Fights: Superbon vs. Nattawut live on PPV on watch.onefc.com at 8:30 a.m. EST/5:30 a.m. PST.
