ONE 165: Superlek Breaks Down Victory Over Takeru, Eyes Move To Bantamweight Division

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ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion Superlek Kiatmoo9's tremendous run of form picked up even more steam this past weekend. "The Kicking Machine" dispatched Japanese superstar Takeru Segawa in the main event of ONE 165 in Tokyo, Japan, to retain his crown by unanimous decision.

The super-fight took place on Sunday, 28 January, at the Ariake Arena as Superlek added another prestigious name to his list, picking apart the Japanese icon across five rounds. True to his moniker, the Thai megastar's brutal leg kicks laid the blueprint for victory.

Takeru's lead leg suffered brutal welts because of Superlek's signature kicks. And the ONE flyweight kickboxing king revealed it was all part of the plan to slow down the aggressive challenger.

"I believe that my leg kick definitely had some effects on Takeru. I must say that he did his homework very well. [I studied] with the team on how to take him down. And one of the things was that every time Takeru came in and tried to throw a left hook and right hook, I planned to do a high kick," Superlek said.

"And then at the match, everything was so different. Takeru had been preparing himself very well to block my counterattack, so I had to adapt and survive in the ring as well."

Superlek stood tall as the official scorecards were read out, the World Title high above his head. But the performance wasn't without its tumultuous moments. Most notably in the third frame.

Takeru managed to accelerate toward Superlek, landing punches in bunches as the Japanese fans roared on with an emphatic stoppage win for the hometown boy looming. It was a moment that had many fans on the edge of their seats. It was a challenge that, admittedly, tested Superlek's fortitude.

"I took that shot from Takeru and my body literally froze, and the only thing that I thought in my head was that I have to have a fighting spirit, I have to do whatever it takes to survive on the third round and continue fighting on the fourth round," Superlek said.

Having overcome the challenge of Takeru to leave "The Land of the Rising Sun" with his gold intact, Superlek now looks over the flyweight realm following 12 months of sheer domination.

"The Kicking Machine's" run of form has been nothing short of exemplary. Names like ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon, Tagir Khalil, Nabil Anane, and Danial Williams have all been added to his resume.

While he'll remain active in the flyweight division, Superlek feels a move to the bantamweight striking realm now makes sense. With fresh challenges comes an opportunity to extend his legacy. And he'll certainly have his eye on becoming a two-weight ONE World Champion.

"For me going up to bantamweight is a very good thing because I think that I want new challenges in my life," Superlek said. "I can still continue in the flyweight division, but going up to bantamweight is something I am very interested in as well."