It took less than 2 minutes for Rodtang to capitalize on a gap in Takeru Segawa’s defense and finish the fight when they met last March, but Japan’s kickboxing superstar plans to even the score come April 29th when ONE Championship returns to Tokyo.
Since the defeat, Takeru secured a bounce-back victory by knockout over Denis Purić in November. Meanwhile, Rodtang will have been out of the ring for over a year by the time their rematch rolls around. Through his career, Takeru has only lost three matches, but Rodtang was the only competitor on record in a major promotion to finish the K-1 legend.
During a recent interview Takeru recounted his first meeting with Rodtang, explaining the occasion as ‘humiliating’ based on the way the fight finished in the first round. Additionally, he explained his motivation for the rematch is linked to the humiliation of defeat, and vows to get revenge on ONE’s Muay Thai titleholder next month.
“After I lost to Rodtang, that was around the time I started thinking that I must defeat Rodtang and retire. I lost to him in the first round. Until then, I had never lost a fight like that quickly. That was also the first time I lost by such a clear KO.
“He was the first opponent who gave me that level of humiliation as a fighter. So I feel if I don’t get revenge against a fighter like him, I can’t finish my career as a fighter.”