When it comes to his upcoming opponent, Superlek Kiatmoo9 is not in the least bit intimidated.
After an outstanding 2023 campaign in which he won five consecutive fights and won the ONE flyweight kickboxing world championship, “The Kicking Machine” will begin his 2024 campaign with a fight against Takeru Segawa, who is widely considered to be the best pound-for-pound kickboxer in the history of the sport.
In April of this year, Takeru signed a contract with ONE, and he will finally make his long-awaited debut on Sunday, January 28, when he will be the main attraction at ONE 165 in Japan, his home country. It is expected that “The Natural Born Crusher” would attempt to win gold in his first performance, which will take place against Superlek, who is currently the reigning and defending champion.
In a conversation with the promotion in advance of their must-see fight at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Superlek put an end to any rumors that he could be experiencing any level of intimidation in preparation for his fight against the K-1 great. In the words of “The Kicking Machine,”
Takeru is not someone who I find intimidating in any way. There are several things that would require me to exercise caution. As a result of the fact that I do not experience fear in the ring, there is nothing to be concerning.
Takeru hopes to rebook his bout with Rodtang following the clash with Superlek at ONE 165
Takeru Segawa is the first and only fighter in the history of K-1 to win world titles in three separate divisions thanks to his 43 victories in combat sports. He holds the distinction of being the first fighter in K-1 history to do so. The victory that Takeru achieved over Superlek Kiatmoo9 gives him hope that he would be able to reschedule a fight with Rodtang Jitmuangnon, who was supposed to be his opponent.
In an interview with ONE Championship, he stated, “I’ll begin with Superlek, I’ll try to defeat him decisively, and then I’ll look at that fight again [with Rodtang].”
During the Muay Thai Fight of the Year, which took place in September, “The Kicking Machine” prevailed over Rodtang by way of decisive decision. On the other hand, a significant number of boxing fans were of the opinion that “The Iron Man” had caused sufficient damage to depart Lumpinee Boxing Stadium carrying his hand aloft.
This next Sunday, January 28, ONE 165 will be broadcast live on the global pay-per-view platform watch.onefc.com.
