Age means nothing when trust runs so deep. Denis Puric sees his upcoming clash with Japanese icon Takeru Segawa as an opportunity to prove the doubters wrong.
The 40-year-old Bosnian-Canadian fighter clashes with the #2 contender in flyweight kickboxing action at AN 173: Superbon vs. Noiri on Sunday, November 16 at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. Puric has spent months campaigning for high-profile bouts, and this fight against a three-division K-1 champion represents exactly what he was looking for.
His journey through ONE Championship reads like a greatest hits collection of wars. Puric knocked out rising star Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat in the second round and survived three grueling rounds with Thai megastar Rodtang Jitmuangnon in a fight that showed his iron will. He also dropped Jacob Smith twice en route to a unanimous decision victory.
But the path wasn’t always smooth. After his war with Rodtang, Puric faced turbulence with a no-contest against Elias Mahmoudi and an injury loss against Jaosuayai Mor Krungthepthonburi. These setbacks forced him to completely reconsider his approach.
“I wasn’t thinking about the fact that I’m 40 years old. So I got a wake-up call from the last fight and I was like, ‘I’m just going to take my time, man,'” he said.
“I’m going to pull it back, recover, focus on the gym and stop rushing fights.”
Denis Puric explains the tactical switch to kickboxing
Denis Puric realized his body needed a different path forward. The decision to focus solely on kickboxing rather than Muay Thai came from both practical wisdom and strategic thinking.
ONE Championship’s Muay Thai ruleset consists of 4-ounce gloves, elbows and extensive clinching work. Kickboxing eliminates those brutal elements while adding heavier gloves and limiting clinching. For a 40-year-old fighter looking to extend his career, the math made sense.
“I think I should focus more on kickboxing than Muay Thai. These guys.” [in Muay Thai] They are young lions, they are half my age,” Puric said.
“I think I can still hang with the best in kickboxing. So I’m going to let these young lions take over the Muay Thai world, and I’m going to try to get that kickboxing title.”
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