‘Works For Me’ – Takeru Embraces Potential Rematch With Rodtang After Impressive Victory At ONE 173

Takeru “Natural Born Krusher” Segawa’s win at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri came at an important moment in his career. On Sunday at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, the Japanese superstar stopped Denis “The Bosnian Menace” Puric in the second round after scoring four knockdowns across the entire fight.

That victory was meaningful for him, as it marked his first win in his homeland under the ONE Championship banner. After the bout, the 34-year-old spoke openly about the adjustments he made leading into the event and why this performance in Japan carried more weight than usual.

He made major changes in camp after reviewing his recent performances, and the revamped approach ultimately resulted in a bonus-winning performance.

He explained:

“I really switched up my training for this camp. I looked at my old fight and I changed my style to a really specific style tailored to ONE Championship. Looking back at my old fights, I feel like I returned to my old self.”

Takeru earned a reputation as one of the biggest striking superstars to emerge from Japan thanks to his near-decade run of success in K-1.

As a historic three-division K-1 Champion, he became known for his speed, clean shot selection, and ability to overwhelm opponents with pressure and precision. Those qualities helped shape one of the most decorated resumes in modern kickboxing.

But the transition to ONE Championship had been challenging. He fell to ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion “The Kicking Machine” Superlek at ONE 165 in January 2024, rebounded against Myanmar star Thant Zin, and then suffered an 80-second stoppage loss to former flyweight Muay Thai king Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon at ONE 172 in March – a fight he entered while dealing with rib injuries in camp.

Both defeats happened in Japan, which intensified his internal pressure and sparked retirement discussions. He acknowledged that the setbacks forced him to consider stepping away, but he wasn’t ready to do so without proving he could still perform at his expected level.

He said:

“I had always told myself that if I lost twice, I would retire. And in ONE Championship, after the last fight against Rodtang, I ended up losing twice, but I just couldn’t bring myself to end it there. And I really came into this fight in a must-win situation, and I was able to get that win. And I really hope that this fight with Rodtang comes about.”

One of the reasons he joined ONE in the first place was to test himself against the world’s greatest strikers, and a matchup with Rodtang was always high on that list.

Now that the opportunity to avenge the March result is within reach, Takeru reiterated that retirement talk had nothing to do with feeling physically diminished.

He added:

“The talk about retirement, it wasn’t really because I feel that my body is breaking or getting weaker. I trained a lot of things, I changed a lot of things in my training leading up to this, but I feel that currently, I can keep myself at the strongest and best Takeru that there ever was. But the time for me to be able to do that is kind of shortening.”

Takeru Addresses Rodtang And His Retirement Timeline

Once the win was in the books at ONE 173, Takeru Segawa’s mind went straight to the one thing he still wants before he walks away – another shot at Rodtang Jitmuangnon.

The first encounter at ONE 172 ended abruptly, and Takeru has been clear that he does not want to close his career on that performance. Now healthy and carrying renewed confidence, he sees Rodtang as the appropriate opponent for what could be his final fight.

The significance of the matchup grew when both men had a face-off inside the Circle on Sunday. They later expressed interest in a rematch during a social media exchange following the blockbuster event.

While no bout has been announced, the public acknowledgment from both sides quickly fueled conversation among fans.

ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong also mentioned April 29 as a potential target date for ONE 175. When asked about it, Takeru responded cautiously but positively.

He said:

“I just need to check my physical condition, check my body after this, but I think that date works for me.”