Rodtang Jitmuangnon has withdrawn from his ONE 165 bout against Takeru Segawa. Instead, the main event on Jan. 28 will see Superlek Kiatmoo9 face Japan’s Takeru with the ONE flyweight kickboxing world title on the line. Takeru, on social media, has commented on the change of opponent.
Superlek vs. Takeru in Tokyo
As it has been rumored for a few weeks, “The Iron Man” Rodtang is injured. The Muay Thai superstar was booked to face Takeru in Tokyo. But, the Thai-born striker has suffered an injury in his arm and was forced to pull out of the match on Jan. 28. Takeru and Rodtang were previously booked for a five-round, non-title match.
On Friday morning, ONE Championship made it official. Superlek and Takeru will instead meet in the main event in Tokyo, Japan. This match will have title implications as Thailand’s Superlek will be putting his ONE flyweight kickboxing title on the line.
“The Kicking Machine”
Most recently, the Thai-born striker is coming off of a three-round Muay Thai war against Rodtang, in which “The Kicking Machine” Superlek got the victory. He was initially scheduled for a kickboxing title match against Elias Mahmoudi on Jan. 12, but Mahmoudi withdrew from this match due to a rib injury.
Superlek is a feared striker who brings a very different style than Rodtang. The Iron Man is a Muay-Mat-style striker who focuses on punching with flurries. While Superlek is a Muay-Tae fighter focusing on kicks, hence his moniker.
The Thai-born striker is also one of the top pound-for-pound fighters currently in Muay Thai, having captured multiple world titles in Lumpinee Stadium and WBC, in addition to his kickboxing crown in ONE Championship.
“Natural Born Crusher”
The “Natural Born Crusher” Takeru has been one of the top pound-for-pound kickboxers for the past decade. The Japanese-born striker has won three K-1 Grand Prix titles across three different weight classes, in addition to his three division titles.
Also, Takeru had an unbeaten streak of more than 30 fights from 2012 to 2021. He is known for his knockouts and aggressive punching style. Most recently, he captured an ISKA world title by way of head-kick knockout in 2023.
On Twitter, Takeru commented on the change of opponent. He said:
“My opponent for my ONE debut at January 28th Rodtang 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 Rodtang for a long time and sacrificed many things for this fight so I was shocked and disappointed. But now I’m excited to face Superlek and fight for the world title for my one debut. I will win show the world the I’m the best of the best and who is the king. Thank you for the loves and support and please keep your eyes on me. January 28th I’ll be world champion for sure.”
He added:
“I don’t know how many more fights my body will last. I’ve been preparing to fight with Rodtang for a long time, so there were a lot of things I thought about. To turn this into an opportunity against Superlek, who beat Rodtang, I decided to take on the challenge. Because you don’t know when the life of a fighter will end. Fight now with all your strength. There are some people who want to cancel their tickets because their opponent has changed, and some who don’t want to watch the PPV. Seeing my final life as a fighter I want you to burn it into your eyes. Be sure to become a champion on January 28th Prove the world’s strongest. Please provide some support!”
It will be a five-round battle with a kickboxing world championship on the line when Superlek and Takeru meet on Jan. 28. This match is booked for the main event at ONE 165 in Tokyo, Japan.