Takeru is 'contractually' tied to ONE Championship despite Abema sponsorship, Chatri says, after U-NEXT deal in Japan

ONE Championship has signed an exclusive broadcast deal with the surging streaming service U-NEXT in Japan – and Takeru Segawa will be a central part of it.

The 32-year-old Japanese icon was defeated by flyweight kickboxing king Superlek Kiatmookao on his promotional debut, in the main event of January's ONE 165 card in Tokyo.

The card was broadcast on local pay-per-view platform Abema, with whom Takeru reportedly had an exclusve contract for 100 million yen per fight.

Some fans raised questions on social media whether Takeru would now be able to compete for ONE on U-NEXT, or whether the promotion would still hold pay-per-view events on Abema in Japan.

But U-NEXT – which also holds the Japanese broadcast rights for the UFC – will have exclusive live and on-demand rights for all ONE shows, including Friday Fights, Fight Nights and numbered events.

"Takeru is with ONE and will follow us wherever we go, legally and contractually," ONE chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong told Sportskeeda.

Takeru Segawa unloads a barrage on Superlek.

"He's not exclusive to Abema. He was an Abema sponsor fighter, but his ONE contract is senior to his Abema sponsorship."

The U-NEXT deal caught many off guard, given ONE's close ties to Abema executive producer Yuji Kitano.

"U-NEXT strives to provide our beloved Japanese athletes a global platform to showcase their skills and share their incredible stories," Tenshin Tsutsumi, president and CEO of U-NEXT, said in a press release on Wednesday.

"ONE Championship is known for its thrilling live events, and the organisation features a plethora of Japanese martial artists who compete on the world stage. we are committed to closely collaborating with ONE and bringing our heroes close to the fans. Please stay tuned for more exciting developments."

ONE signed a long-term, eight-figure deal with Japanese e-commerce platform Rakuten Ticket in 2023, ahead of its return to the market after more than four years away amid the pandemic.

Takeru (right) congratulates Superlek after their flyweight kickboxing title fight in Tokyo.

Chatri confirmed he will soon announce another Japan card, with last month's showpiece in Tokyo breaking records for the promotion. He told Sportskeeda:

"We are seeing a lot of fan growth in Japan. ONE 165 had record ticket sales at almost US$2 million in gate."

He added:

"It was also the most searched term on Google in both Japan and Thailand, during the event and afterwards."

Chatri had caused a stir during the post-event press conference backstage at the Ariake Arena, telling a room full of local media, "Japanese fighters come to ONE and get crushed."

Some considered his brash words insult, while others suggested he may have been looking to goad other big Japanese names to sign with ONE following Takeru's loss.

Indeed, RISE World Series 54kg tournament winner Toki Tamaru appeared to target ONE strawweight kickboxing champion Jonathan Di Bella when he said he wanted a shot at ONE Championship gold after attending ONE 165. Chatri told Sportskeeda:

"There is lots of inbound interest for Japanese fighters coming to ONE, but let's see what happens."