ONE Championship: Takeru is left in limbo after Rodtang face-off fail – but still wants kickboxing fight in Tokyo
- Japanese kickboxing icon flies to Bangkok for ONE Friday Fights 34 main event – but Superlek win throws a spanner in the works
- Takeru admits the promotion’s plan was ‘of course’ to have him stare down Rodtang in the ring to set up fight had ‘Iron Man’ won
Takeru Segawa flew into Bangkok from Los Angeles for a staredown with Rodtang Jitmuangnon that never came, after Superlek Kiatmookao’s hand was raised at ONE Friday Fights 34.
But the Japanese kickboxing icon is still hopeful a big-money super fight with the Thai superstar can be booked for his debut in ONE Championship.
The 32-year-old signed with the Singapore-based martial arts promotion in April but is still waiting to fight, with ONE’s return to Japan – rumoured to be in Tokyo in early 2024 – believed to be earmarked for his first event.
Asked whether he had been brought to the Lumpinee Stadium specifically to set up a debut clash should “The Iron Man” have won, Takeru smiled.
“Of course,” he said, laughing.
“Yeah, it’s not going to change, because I understand how strong Rodtang’s [name] is, and how his value is high, so it’s the same even though he lost,” Takeru said, via a translator.
“I also thought that [the knockdown] was not due to accurate striking to Rodtang, so maybe the fans are right. A draw would have been a better result.”
ONE Friday Fights 34 results: Superlek beats Rodtang
Should the fight be booked for Tokyo, the ONE flyweight kickboxing title could even be on the line, with Superlek reiterating that he could move up to bantamweight – which would see him vacate his belt – having come in 5lbs heavy at Thursday’s weigh-ins.
“I’m very, very interested in that,” Takeru said, smiling again. “I want to do that.”
ONE chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong may have other plans for Takeru, however, with the 32-year-old not necessarily pencilled in for Tokyo.
“We’re going back to Japan, so we don’t know whether we’re going to debut him in Japan yet, or whether it’s in another country,” Chatri told the Post backstage after the event.
In a post-event media scrum, Chatri said Takeru’s former home of K-1 Kickboxing could not compare to the level of striking in ONE, when asked if he would like to cross promote with the Japanese organisation.
“We have a lot of plans for Takeru, he’s the best of the best in Japan and he’s jumping up a level to come to the best in the world, so let’s see how he fares,” Chatri added to the Post.
“There’s a lot of killers in that division and they all want a piece of him as well, so he’s going to have his hands full. Takeru is unbelievable, I think he ranks among the best in the world. The question is whether he is the best in the world or not, we’ll find out.”
When told of Chatri’s comments regarding K-1, the promotion’s former three-weight champion – a feat no other fighter there has achieved – smiled again.
“I want to showcase what the level of K-1 is,” he said simply.
