New ONE Championship signing Takeru Segawa has big plans for his career with the martial arts giant, and he wants to fight the best he can get right away.
The Japanese kickboxing sensation is looking to kick his promotional tenure off with a marquee matchup against Thai megastar Rodtang Jitmuangnon.
Speaking after his recent victory over Bailey Sugden at MTGP in Paris, Takeru revealed that the ONE flyweight muay Thai world champion is in his crosshairs, and he doesn’t want to wait around.
“Right now, I only have eyes for Rodtang,” he said.
“In my future career in martial arts, I want to stay true to myself. I want to fight the opponents I want to fight and give it my all to make it happen. I am ready, so I want to fight him right away.”
Rodtang has won all 14 of his fights across both muay Thai and kickboxing under the ONE banner, and he endeared himself to fans over that time thanks to his aggressive fighting style and signature showmanship.
It’s for that reason that Takeru would like to test himself against “The Iron Man” first. He wants to announce himself on the global stage by stealing the spotlight from one of the promotion’s biggest stars.
“He is a muay Thai fighter. But he also has good punches, strong physicality, and technical skills. He is a strong and versatile fighter with a strong mentality,” Takeru said.
“In addition to that, he can energize the audience. There aren’t many fighters like him in the world. That’s Rodtang’s strength and charm. That’s why I want to surpass him.”
The Thai superstar has sat atop the flyweight muay Thai division for some time, but he also holds the No. 1-ranked position in kickboxing, making him the highest-profile opponent Takeru could possibly face.
The Japanese striker has fought almost exclusively in his native country throughout his career so far, and he has amassed an ultra-impressive 42-3 record with 25 knockouts.
Having dominated the scene on home soil, “Natural Born Crusher” now has his sights set on the global stage – and the 26-pound gold belt that ONE offers its best fighters.
“My goal remains the same: aiming for the top. I have been saying that I want to prove myself as the best in the world. I want to showcase the strength of Japanese martial arts to the world,” Takeru said.
“In ONE, as well, I want to go for the top position. I signed with ONE because there is an opponent I want to fight the most, and that’s why I want to fight Rodtang.”
