Takeru ONE Friday Fights 81: WATCH: Get a ringside view of Takeru Segawa's rapid comeback sequence against tough-headed Thant Zin in Bangkok

Japanese kickboxing star Takeru Segawa turned his doubters into believers by putting together an unbelievable comeback against Thant Zin at ONE Friday Fights 81 last Friday, Sept. 27, inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Burmese rising sensation stunned Takeru by dropping him with a left hand late in the first round. 'The Natural Born Crusher' responded with a knockdown of his own in the second round and landed the knockout blow soon after.

Watch Takeru's second-round knockout from ringside, which ONE shared on Instagram:

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Takeru's sophomore outing under the bright lights of the world's largest martial arts promotion showcased the full extent of his striking prowess, which made him one of his generation's most prominent kickboxers.

The Team Vasileus star made his ONE debut at ONE 165 this past January, where he challenged Superlek Kiatmoo9 for the ONE flyweight kickboxing world championship. Takeru fought his heart out but ultimately lost via unanimous decision.

Takeru critiques his performance against Thant Zin at ONE Friday Fights 81

Part of what makes Takeru a relatable fighter to many fans is his ability to look back at his performances without rose-tinted glasses, which he did after knocking out Thant Zin at ONE Friday Fights 81.

Speaking with ONE fighter-turned-commentator Mitch Chilson in the post-fight interview, Takeru said:

"First of all, thank you for supporting. Second, I was rushing, so I was taking damage to my face, but it was okay. Also, it was my first match after my big injury, but I adapted to it and I made it good."

Watch his comments below (6:53):

The full replay of ONE Friday Fights 81 is available to fans who purchased the pay-per-view at watch.onefc.com.

About the author

Karl has been an MMA writer at Sportskeeda since 2023. He holds a Bachelor of Arts major in history, which helps him pay attention to the finer details while writing, and also has first-hand experience in boxing. He has a total experience of 5 years, and has worked for the International Business Times.

Karl turned into an MMA fan back in 2011 after watching Tito Ortiz defeat Ryan Bader via first-round submission at UFC 132. He has interviewed ONE world champions like Eduard Folayang, Joshua Pacio, Stamp Fairtex, and Tawanchai in his career so far.

On the non-MMA side of things, he interviewed WWE superstar Matt Riddle in 2021 and his question about Roman Reigns elicited an interesting answer which was widely covered by outlets like Sportskeeda and Cultaholic Wrestling's YouTube channel. He has also interviewed NBA stars Dwight Howard, Nick Young, Andre Roberson, Shabazz Muhammad, Jason Williams and Brian Scalabrine plus Filipino women's volleyball star Alyssa Valdez.

Karl ensures to double-check facts before using them in articles, and reads up on potential topics for pieces a day before. In his off time, he likes to play video games, and keep up with basketball and pro wrestling.

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Edited by Harvey Leonard