ONE 172: Kickboxing Legend Takeru Segawa Opens Up On Lessons Learned After Superlek Loss

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Japanese megastar Takeru Segawa is in full swing preparing for the biggest all-striking fight of the year. He faces Rodtang Jitmuangnon in a five-round flyweight kickboxing super-fight in the main event of ONE 172 on 23 March.

When these two renowned martial arts enter the battleground inside Japan's Saitama Super Arena, the whole world will be watching. Both have wanted this fight for a long time, and now the stage is set for what will be a fight for the ages.

Takeru was originally scheduled to face Rodtang for his debut fight, but "The Iron Man" withdrew due to an injury. Then, Superlek Kiatmoo9 accepted the bout. Takeru and Superlek produced a striking masterclass that left everyone in awe.

The 33-year-old Japanese great, however, paid a huge price for that gritty performance. Superlek crushed "The Natural Born Crusher's" knee with devastating leg kicks, resulting in a fracture in two places. He recently opened up about that fight and its aftereffects.

"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. In a way, I feel that I could approach fights with a more relaxed and sanguine manner," Takeru said.

"As soon as I got back to training, I was already full sail ahead in preparing for my next fight. Every time I lose, I feel eager to get back into the ring immediately and avenge my loss."

ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion Superlek and Takeru traded shots for five rounds. The balance of the match swung like a pendulum, but Superlek's strikes proved to be the difference in this thrilling war.

The loss turned out to be a great learning experience for the man who uses his legs for a living. He couldn't walk or train for many months. In fact, his fight against Superlek and its outcome made him refine his whole approach.

"The most significant learning I garnered from that fight was that I needed to change my approach to priming my body for the fight. Since that fight, I think that I am about three times more meticulous and attentive to caring for my body," three-division K-1 Champion 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."