A three-year saga culminates this Sunday when Rodtang Jitmuangnon meets Takeru Segawa in what many call combat sports’ most anticipated showdown of 2025. The elite strikers collide in a flyweight kickboxing fight in the main event of ONE 172 inside Japan’s Saitama Super Arena.
The matchup pits Muay Thai royalty against kickboxing excellence. Rodtang, the former ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion, ventures into hostile territory against Takeru, Japan’s homegrown three-division K-1 kingpin.
Their collision course began in October 2021 when Takeru first called out the Thai sensation via YouTube. Rodtang welcomed the challenge, igniting fervent debate among fight aficionados worldwide. The signing of Takeru to ONE Championship in April 2023 transformed fantasy into impending reality.
A scheduled January 2024 bout collapsed when Rodtang suffered a training injury. Now healed, both warriors stand ready to deliver on years of anticipation.
“I’ll be able to win for sure,” declares Rodtang, currently ranked #1 in ONE’s flyweight kickboxing division. “This fight is going to be the best I have ever done. It’s truly the biggest fight of my career, of my life.”
The Thai star, whose aggressive style earned him global fame, feels a deep connection to Sunday’s battleground.
“I think I became famous because of Japan. I’ve been waiting for a chance to fight here again. I feel like I’m back in my second home.”
The stakes couldn’t be higher for #2-ranked Takeru, who seeks validation against Muay Thai’s most fearsome forward-marcher in front of his countrymen.
Rodtang minces no words about his intentions: “It’s going to be one hell of a fight that no one should ever miss. I’d like to end this with a knockout.”
After countless social media exchanges and years of speculation, the martial arts world finally gets its answer: who reigns supreme when Muay Thai’s unstoppable force meets kickboxing’s immovable object?
