Takeru Segawa Views Clash With Thant Zin As “Must Win” At ONE Friday Fights 81

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Japanese kickboxing sensation Takeru Segawa is on a mission to earn the first victory of his ONE Championship tenure this Friday, 27 September, treating his ONE Friday Fights 81: Superbon vs. Nattawut clash with Thant Zin as a "must-win" scenario.

"The Natural Born Crusher" returns to flyweight kickboxing action at the tentpole event in Bangkok, Thailand's Lumpinee Stadium. His debut in Tokyo, Japan, this past January at ONE 165 saw him suffer a narrow decision defeat to two-division, two-sport king Superlek Kiatmoo9.

Onlookers were enthralled in Takeru's five-round affair against the pound-for-pound great and didn't hold the defeat against him. But it's one setback that Takeru has taken to heart. To him, Friday is a chance to redeem himself and prove he's just as good as ONE's greatest strikers - if not better.

"This is my comeback fight and my second ONE fight, so I really want my first win in ONE," Takeru said. "Regardless of who the opponent is, I just need to win so I can get back to the position to fight Superlek or [ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion] Rodtang [Jitmuangnon]."

Originally, Takeru was slated to face revered striker Black Panther at ONE Friday Fights 81. That was until the Thai star was forced to withdraw from injury. In his place comes the young wrecking machine Thant Zin.

The Myanmar athlete isn't to be taken lightly. Thant Zin has scored knockouts in both of his outings in the ONE Friday Fights series. And on short notice, Japan's favorite son knows the 19-year-old will be hunting for his head, but that won't dissuade him from clinching a knockout win.

"He's a young fighter, so he'll have momentum," Takeru said. "I'll be careful of that while sticking to my own fighting style. Since he's an aggressive type, I want to win by KO."

Takeru's striking pedigree and wealth of accolades is what makes him one of the best on the planet. And he'll be the older, more experienced fighter come Friday, but he's not underestimating his opponent.

Instead, the Tokyo tussler has all his focus asserted on ONE Friday Fights 81. If he really wants to cement his legacy and chase the biggest and best fights in the promotion, he knows a clinical victory is of the utmost importance.

"I joined ONE to aim for being the strongest in the world, so I really want this win. To fight at the top, I absolutely can't lose two in a row after losing the last one," Takeru said.

"There's no next if I don't win. That's what I've always thought. I came to ONE to fight Rodtang and prove I'm the strongest in the world by beating him, so I need to win this fight to get there. I need to win in a way that's worthy of that goal."