My opponent for my ONE debut at January 28th
Rotang has been canceled and changed to Superlek and I’m going to
fight for the one championship world title.
I have been preparing to fight Rotang for a long time and
sacrificed many things for this fight so I was shocked and…
pic.twitter.com/SvpjyQk8c5— 武尊 takeru (@takerusegawa)
January 5, 2024
Switching top-tier opponents is no problem for a star like Takeru
Segawa.
According to the Japanese kickboxer on Friday morning, his One Championship kickboxing matchup against
Rodtang
Jitmuangnon is no longer in the cards. Atop
ONE 165 on Jan. 28 at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Takeru (42-3)
will instead throw down with Superlek
Kiatmoo9 (136-29-4). This match will put Superlek’s ONE
flyweight (135 pounds) kickboxing belt on the line.
Superlek was gearing up to defend his throne against Elias
Mahmoudi at ONE Fight Night 18, however, Mahmoudi was also
forced out of their meeting due to an injury. In his most recent
outing, Superlek recorded a hard-fought decision victory against
Rodtang in a muay thai battle last September. Unfortunately for the
man born Manachai Yamsiri, his five-pound weight miss disqualified
him from competing for the title.
Japan’s Takeru will be making his ONE debut with a reputation as
one of the top kickboxers in the sport. The former K-1 champion
claimed gold in three divisions as he lorded over the promotion
from 2014 to 2021, never once losing a match. Takeru is one fight
removed from his encounter against Tenshin
Nasukawa in June 2022, where the two went at it for three
intense rounds. Takeru suffered his first loss in a little over a
decade when he fell short to his fellow countryman.
ONE 165 goes down inside of the Ariake Arena in Tokyo on Jan. 28,
and its main attraction will now see Superlek vs. Takeru for the
135-pound kickboxing title. Its co-main attraction is also a
championship tilt, as Kade
Ruotolo puts his belt on the line against Tommy
Langaker in a 170-pound submission grappling match.
Additionally, Shinya Aoki
and Sage
Northcutt will come to blows at 170 pounds in what has become a
one-sided grudge match, while Garry Tonon
hunts for another submission victory at the expense of Martin
Nguyen at 155 pounds.