The 34-year-old Japanese superstar stopped Denis Puric in the second round A 173 on Saturday, November 16 at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. The former three-division K-1 champion scored four knockdowns throughout the fight, marking his first victory in his home country under the ONE Championship banner.
The performance weighed more heavily than usual. Takeru made major adjustments heading into camp after reviewing his recent performances, and the revamped approach resulted in a bonus-winning showcase that reminded everyone why he earned “Natural Born Krusher” as his nickname.
The victory came at a crossroads. After falling to Superlek Kiatmoo9 at ONE 165 and suffering an 80-second stoppage loss to Rodtang Jitmuangnon at ONE 172, both defeats in Japan increased his internal pressure and led to discussions about his retirement.
“I really changed my training for this camp. I looked at my old fight and changed my style to a very specific style, tailored to ONE Championship. Looking back on my old fights, I feel like I’ve returned to my old self,” he said.
Takeru Segawa embraces potential Rodtang Jitmuangnon rematch on ONE 175
Takeru Segawa acknowledged that consecutive losses on home soil forced him to consider leaving the competition behind. The Japanese legend had always set personal standards that demanded excellence, increasing the pressure with every setback. But walking away without proving that he could still perform at the expected level did not suit him.
The move to ONE Championship brought challenges for someone who dominated K-1 for nearly a decade. His historic three-division championship run made him one of Japan’s biggest striking superstars, known for his speed, clean shot selection and overwhelming pressing.
One of the reasons he joined ONE was to test himself against the biggest attackers in the world. A match with Rodtang remained high on the list from the start, making the opportunity to avenge their March result particularly meaningful now that it is within reach.
“I always told myself that if I lost twice, I would retire. And in ONE Championship, after the last fight against Rodtang, I ended up losing twice, but I just couldn’t bring myself to put an end to that. And I really came into this fight in a must-win situation, and I was able to get that win. And I really hope that this fight with Rodtang happens,” Takeru said.
“The talk about retirement hasn’t really been because I feel like my body is breaking down or getting weaker. I’ve trained a lot of things, I’ve changed a lot of things in my training leading up to this, but I feel like right now I can keep myself at the strongest and best Takeru there’s ever been. But the time for me to be able to do that is getting a little shorter.”
#Takeru #Reflects #173s #Victory #Returned #BJPenn.com