Takeru wants to go out with a bang, gets Rodtang rematch for retirement fight at ONE 175
Takeru Segawa knocks out Denis Puric and says he will quit after facing Rodtang Jitmuangnon in Tokyo next April
Takeru Segawa will have one last hurrah before retiring after stopping Denis Puric in the third round at ONE 173 in Tokyo and positioning himself for a blockbuster rematch with Rodtang Jitmuangnon in what he says will be his final fight.
The former three-division K-1 champion entered Sunday’s flyweight kickboxing contest carrying significant pressure.
Since joining ONE, Takeru’s run has been turbulent. He lost his promotional debut to Superlek Kiatmoo9, rebounded with a win over Thant Zin, then suffered a knockout defeat to Rodtang at ONE 172.
That result marked the first time in his career he had lost twice within the same organisation. At 34 years old, the stakes could not have been higher.
Takeru delivered when he needed it most. Mixing sharp punches, varied kicks and a more familiar rhythm, he floored Puric repeatedly en route to a stoppage at 2:49 of round three.
The win moved him to 2-2 in ONE and 45-5 overall, and he earned a US$50,000 performance bonus from ONE boss Chatri Sityodtong.