Japanese Legends Ready to Make History at ONE Samurai 1 in Tokyo

Two of Japan’s biggest combat sports stars have spoken ahead of their high-stakes matchups at ONE Samurai 1.

Former three-division K-1 Champion Takeru Segawa and ONE Flyweight MMA World Champion Yuya Wakamatsu both addressed the fans before the show emanates live from Tokyo’s Ariake Arena on Wednesday, April 29.

Takeru enters his retirement fight with one mission – to defeat Rodtang Jitmuangnon and claim the ONE Interim Flyweight Kickboxing World Title in his final professional bout.

Wakamatsu, however, looks to extend his remarkable run by defending his flyweight MMA crown against Uzbek finisher Avazbek Kholmirzaev on home soil once again.

With two Japanese stars fighting for glory in front of their own fans, the stakes at ONE Samurai 1 could hardly be higher. Both men have made their intentions crystal clear.

Takeru Eyes Redemption at ONE Samurai 1

Takeru has chased a definitive win over Rodtang Jitmuangnon since long before he ever set foot inside ONE Championship. His journey took a painful detour at ONE 172 in 2025, where Rodtang knocked him out in just 80 seconds.

Now, with the ONE Interim Flyweight Kickboxing World Title and his entire legacy on the line, Takeru stated his feelings about the rematch in full.

“I’m incredibly happy to be able to fight Rodtang again in my final professional bout. Ever since before I joined ONE, all I’ve ever thought about was defeating Rodtang,” Takeru said.

The Japanese icon carries a 45-5 career record into his retirement fight, having built his legacy across three K-1 divisions before arriving on the global stage.

Standing across from him is Rodtang, who holds a 274-43 career record, a 17-2 mark in ONE, and the destructive power that earned him six ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title wins.

Takeru Frames His Previous Loss as Part of a Bigger Story Ahead of ONE Samurai 1

Rather than treating the knockout defeat at ONE 173 as a setback, Takeru has reframed the narrative entirely. In his telling, that loss was never a dead end – it was a chapter in a story that was always building toward this moment at ONE Samurai 1.

“Looking back, I believe that even my previous loss was all part of the story, leading to this retirement fight where I turn everything around and claim the belt. I will prove once and for all that Takeru is at the center of the combat sports world. I’m going to win this,” he said.

Rodtang made his ONE debut in 2018 and has since become one of the promotion’s most beloved and feared champions. The Thai megastar is 28 years old and at the height of his powers, which makes Takeru’s belief in his own retirement story all the more remarkable.

Wakamatsu Promises to Show a New Side of Himself at ONE Samurai 1

The 31-year-old Yuya Wakamatsu claimed the ONE Flyweight MMA World Title in front of his home fans by knocking out Adriano Moraes, then returned to Tokyo to defend it against reigning ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Joshua Pacio.

With the crowd behind him once again, Wakamatsu has promised that the version of himself stepping into the ring on April 29 will be unlike anything fans have seen before.

“I want to give everything I have and show the skills and mental strength I have built up over the years at ONE Samurai 1. I am confident that fans will see a new side of Yuya Wakamatsu,” he explained.

His opponent, Kholmirzaev, arrives with a 9-1 ONE record and the kind of finishing ability that has made him one of the most dangerous challengers in the division. Eight stoppages in the promotion tell their own story, and Wakamatsu will need to be at his very best to turn back the Uzbek sensation and make it second successive title defenses on home soil.

ONE Samurai 1 takes place on Wednesday, April 29, at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. Stay tuned to MMASucka for full broadcast details as they are confirmed.