Japanese Kickboxing Star Signs 'Exclusive, Multi-Fight Deal' With ONE Championship

ONE Championship has prided itself as the home of combat sports, and the promotion made good on that thrust by welcoming kickboxing, Muay Thai and submission grappling stars to the roster alongside its established mixed martial arts (MMA) luminaries.

Boasting Thai stars such as Rodtang Jitmuangnon, Superlek Kiatmoo9, Nong-O Hama and Tawanchai PK. Saenchai alongside globally recognizable names like Jonathan Haggerty, Joseph Lasiri and Chingiz Allazov, the organization has provided them a place to shine.

However, the Singapore-based outfit has shown a willingness to bring in other stars when it has the opportunity to do so and one such athlete that ONE Championship recently added is Japanese kickboxing phenom Takeru Segawa.

Company head honcho Chatri Sityodtong made the reveal on Friday, April 28, confirming that Segawa signed an "exclusive multiple-fight deal."

Long considered as one of the greatest pound-for-pound kickboxers in the world today, the Japanese striker has accumulated 24 knockout victories throughout his 41 wins with only three losses to his name.

Though he started off his pro career with a loss in 2008, Segawa would go on to become a mainstay with K-1 – one of the most revered promotions in the world.

From 2014 to 2022, the "Natural Born Crusher" would go on to hold the super bantamweight, featherweight and super featherweight titles in K-1.

In his last bout with Tenshin Nasukawa, Segawa's unbeaten streak of over 30 bouts was finally broken, bit it did little to damage his reputation across the globe since his compatriot is also a talent on the same level as him.

It is interesting who ONE Championship will have Segawa face in his promotional debut, but there is someone that has already thrown his name into the mix.

Current ONE flyweight Muay Thai champion Rodtang has posted on his Instagram that he wants first dibs against Segawa after his title defense against Edgar Tabares at ONE Fight Night 10 on Friday, May 5.

Seeing Rodtang and Segawa duke it out is going to be a spectacle worthy of a main event with a solid card built around it, which will surely be an instant hit.

While there is no date yet for Segawa's debut since he still has a June 24 matchup with Glory veteran Bailey Sugden in Paris, France, it is highly likely that he will be available in the fourth quarter of 2023.