ONE CHAMPIONSHIP: SUPERBON TELLS TAKERU ‘SHOW US HOW GOOD YOU ARE OUTSIDE JAPAN, BACKS RODTANG TO BEAT HIM ‘ANYWHERE’

  • ONE kickboxing icon praises Japanese superstar but says 'you need to face a good fighter when you're not being judged in your hometown'
  • Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong has teased super fight for Saitama Super Arena but Superbon wants to see Takeru truly prove himself

ONE Championship kickboxing icon Superbon Singha Mawynn believes Takeru Segawa needs to prove himself outside Japan - but backed Rodtang Jitmuangnon to beat him "anywhere".

Combat sports fans quickly began fantasy booking a dream match between Takeru and Rodtang after martial arts promotion ONE signed the former K-1 superstar in April.

Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong told the Post that he was keen to stage the fight in Saitama Super Arena later this year, with flyweight Muay Thai champ Rodtang eager to accept the challenge after his contentious decision defeat by Takeru's fellow Japanese legend Tenshin Nasukawa in 2018.

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Asked for a prediction should the super fight come to fruition, Superbon unsurprisingly gave his backing to his good friend and training partner.

"I know Takeru, but he only fights in Japan. If you are good, you will show the world outside Japan how good you are," Superbon told the Post at Wednesday's ONE Fight Night 11 media day in Bangkok, Thailand.

"Rodtang is gonna beat him anywhere, because Rodtang beat Tenshin [Nasukawa]. The Japanese [judges] gave Tenshin the win, and Takeru lost to Tenshin.

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"I don't say they're not good. They're good - but you need to fight a good fighter. Not just being judged in your hometown, coming out fighting Thai people or foreigners ... not just saying 'I'm the best', but you just stay in your country."

Chatri expressed similar sentiment to Superbon when he unveiled Takeru to Japanese media at a press conference in Tokyo last month.

The ONE boss praised Takeru for being bold in signing for a global promotion, while seemingly taking a dig at other big-name star Japanese fighters for not leaving their comfort zone.

"I want to see who the best is, if he [Takeru] has it," Superbon added. "I've only seen him fight one time when he lost to Tenshin.

"But it means that the sport is going up because he is a superstar in Japan, and a lot of Japanese fans are watching, and a lot of people around the world are watching Rodtang.

"I think many people want to see someone close to Rodtang's level fight him, and me too. I want to watch this fight. I'm gonna be excited for this fight."

At last month's ONE Fight Night 11 post-event press conference in Denver, Chatri said he and his team began talking to Takeru as soon as he revealed he was a free agent.

"We gave him space," Chatri added. "We said, 'Look, if you want to fight the best in the world and get paid the best, it's at ONE'.

"Eventually he came around and signed. His No 1 fight he wants is Rodtang. Takeru is the biggest combat sports star in Japan full stop in terms of kickboxing

"There's a lot of interest in Japan for Takeru versus Rodtang because Rodtang beat Tenshin, and Tenshin beat Takeru, so there is this triangle, and Takeru gets his star back by beating Rodtang."

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This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.

Copyright (c) 2023. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

2023-06-07T11:42:22Z dg43tfdfdgfd