Explore the background of Takeru Segawa, a Japanese fighter who was expelled from school, trained in Muay Thai in Thailand, and rose to become a legendary Japanese boxer before facing Thailand’s Rodtang Jitmuangnon at the ONE Samurai event on 29 Apr 2026 GMT+7.
Introducing the "Grinder Born to Fight," Takeru Segawa, a top Japanese fighter and former K-1 champion, who is scheduled to face “The Iron Man” Rodtang Jitmuangnon, a beloved Thai boxer, at the ONE Samurai event at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.
This bout is a rematch following their first fight at ONE 172 in Japan in March last year, which ended much sooner than expected when Takeru was knocked out by Rodtang just 1 minute and 20 seconds into the first round. This will be the hometown fighter’s final professional fight, while the other may also be his last in ONE Championship amid reports his contract has expired and he is now competing as a free agent.
Profile of Takeru Segawa
Name: Takeru Segawa
Date of birth: 29 July 1991
Yanago City, Tottori Prefecture, Japan
Currently 34 years old
Height: 168 centimeters
Fight record: 41 wins (24 by knockout) and only 3 losses
Takeru Segawa grew up during the boom of kickboxing in Japan. In his youth, he was very unruly and was expelled from school. However, martial arts became a crucial turning point that saved his life, leading him to continuously train and improve, even deciding to travel alone to Thailand to train in Muay Thai.
He came to learn the original fighting art, which helped shape him into a strong fighter before gaining widespread fame in Japan’s K-1 organization, where he won world championships in three weight classes (super featherweight, featherweight, and bantamweight) and maintained an undefeated streak for seven years.
Back in 2024, Takeru Segawa signed with ONE Championship, creating a stir. He debuted by challenging for the flyweight kickboxing world title against Superlek Kiatmuu9, narrowly losing by decision in a fierce battle.
He continued to compete at the world level and was scheduled to face top Thai fighter Rodtang Jitmuangnon in a kickboxing match, where he was knocked out just 1 minute and 20 seconds into the first round.
This upcoming encounter is a rematch and will be Takeru Segawa’s final fight as a professional fighter. He has vowed to avenge the loss and defeat Rodtang decisively, aiming to conclude his career on a grand and perfect note.