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With fight night closing in, Takeru Segawa is focused on reaching top form in his final weeks of intense training.
In just a matter of days, the former three-division K-1 champion will step back onto martial arts' biggest global stage for one of the biggest fights in ONE Championship history. Meeting him inside the Circle on Sunday, March 23 will be Thai superstar Rodtang Jitmuangnon as the two headline ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang.
The two pound-for-pound greats will collide inside the iconic Saitama Super Arena in Japan, main eventing one of the biggest fight cards in ONE history.
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Speaking at the ONE 172 open workouts, Takeru shared some insight to the final weeks of his training camp and what he hopes to accomplish before stepping inside the cage with 'The Iron Man.'
"My current state of mind is the same as always three weeks before a fight," Takeru said. "With less than two weeks of intensive training left, I'll focus on avoiding injuries and reaching peak condition."
Takeru and Rodtang are both riding a wave of momentum going into ONE 172
While Takeru came up short in his promotional debut against Superlek last year, 'The Natural Born Crusher' bounced back with a big win over Thant Zin at ONE Friday Fights 81 in September.
With less than a minute to go in the second round, Takeru landed a teep kick in the corner that immediately folded his opponent, bringing an end to the bout and handing the former king of K-1 his first victory under the ONE Championship banner.
Meanwhile, Rodtang goes into ONE 172 riding back-to-back wins over 'The Bosnian Menace' Denis Puric and top-five ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender Jacob Smith.
Thus far, 'The Iron Man' is a near-perfect 16-1 in Muay Thai and kickboxing bouts in ONE, his only loss coming against the same man who bested Takeru at ONE 165.
Will Rodtang extend his unbeaten streak to three in enemy territory, or will Takeru score the biggest win of his career in front of a raucous hometown crowd?
ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang will emanate from the Saitama Super Arena in Japan on Sunday, March 23. Head over to watch.onefc.com to learn more about how you can watch the event live.
