Takeru admits losing to Superlek changed him: “Like I had died” 

Japanese kickboxing ace Takeru Segawa isn’t used to being on the losing side of the fight. That’s why his ONE Championship debut defeat to Superlek Kiatmoo9 at ONE 165 in January 2024 hit so hard. But in the bout’s aftermath, he learned many lessons.   

“The Natural Born Crusher” returns to action at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang in Japan’s Saitama Super Arena. There, he meets Muay Thai god Rodtang Jitmuangnon in a five-round flyweight kickboxing super-fight on Sunday, March 23.  

The initial loss to Superlek in front of his native fans was a tough pill to swallow. Nevertheless, he licked his wounds and vowed to come back better than ever – which was on show with a rebound win over Thant Zin at ONE Friday Fights 81.  

“I felt like I had died after my loss to Superlek. I won’t sugarcoat how devastating it felt, but at the same time, I felt liberated from any undue pressure,” he explained.  

“This hunger made me slowly get back to training – doing whatever my body allows and taking it slowly day by day. I am a very competitive person, so I could not allow myself to languish for long.” 

Takeru Segawa changes training regimen for ONE 172

As a professional athlete, it’s important to know your body inside and out. It’s even more critical to know when to mix things up. That’s something 34-year-old Takeru has begun to figure out. 

The 48-fight veteran believes that he’s working smarter, not harder, ahead of ONE 172’s exciting showdown with Rodtang Jitmuangnon in order to produce a clinical performance.  

“I had always sought to push myself to the limit in every fight camp leading up to all my fights, but at this age, I feel that it may not be the best approach to preparing for my fight anymore,” he said.  

“After the fight with Superlek, I realized that pushing myself to a breaking point does not necessarily prime myself to fight at my best. Therefore, the Superlek fight made me re-evaluate my approach to optimizing my physical performance.”