"He asked to fight a dangerous fighter" - Chatri Sityodtong says Takeru specifically asked for the toughest test available
Takeru Segawa has never been in a boring match, nor does he plan on being in one anytime soon. 'The Natural Born Crusher' only knows one way to fight. Win or lose, he's always going to push forward, throw everything with reckless abandon, and delight the fans with his never-back-down attitude.
That said, Takeru always seeks an opponent who can match the action he brings.
It certainly takes two to tango, so the Japanese superstar personally requested ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong to give him the toughest adversary available for his sophomore outing in the promotion.
During the ONE Friday Fights 81 virtual press conference, Sityodtong said:
"Takeru, first of all, is a very aggressive fighter, and he asked to fight a dangerous fighter. Takeru has a come-forward, aggressive kind of style, and he likes to throw powerful leg kicks. And now, Thant Zin, even though he is from a younger generation, and doesn't have as much experience as Takeru, has very accurate weapons and he always shows his aggressiveness in fights. So this matchup is perfect because both of them have a similar style."
Black Panther was initially penciled to slug it out with Takeru at ONE Friday Fights 81: Superbon vs Nattawut on Sept. 27, but had to bow out due to injury.
Taking his place is Burmese standout Thant Zin, whose aggressive lethwei base should match perfectly with the Japanese star's high-octane pace.
ONE Friday Fights 81 will air live in Asian primetime from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Watch the full event via PPV at watch.onefc.com.
Chatri Sityodtong says Takeru can't take Thant Zin lightly
Chatri Sityodtong believes Takeru and Thant Zin may very well steal the show in this stacked ONE Friday Fights 81 megacard. While not as credentialed as the Japanese megastar, the 19-year-old Burmese upstart certainly wants to capitalize on this opportunity to make a name for himself at Takeru's expense.
Sityodtong said the Team Vasileus affiliate cannot afford to let his guard down:
"Even though this is in the kickboxing rule set, Takeru has a reputation to protect. And with a newcomer like Thant Zin, this new guy is hungry. He's hungry to make his reputation or make a name for himself as well. So this is going to be a spectacular fight to look forward to."
Watch Chatri Sityodtong's full interview: