"It hurts, guys" - Buakaw says Superlek's leg kicks are absolutely brutal
Thai combat sports legend Buakaw Banchamek recently broke down and discussed the ONE flyweight kickboxing world title fight between Superlek Kiatmoo9 and Takeru Segawa. The pair collided in the main event of ONE 165 on January 28.
Superlek and Takeru put on an incredible fight for the fans inside the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. The former came away with a unanimous decision victory over the latter to retain his world title and successfully defend it.
'The Kicking Machine' lived up to his moniker and employed a kick-heavy strategy to beat 'The Natural Born Crusher' in a methodical way. Buakaw said that Superlek's kicks are absolutely brutal, and the damage to Takeru's leg was solid evidence of it.
Buakaw said during a YouTube video:
"It hurts, guys. If you don't have strong leg muscles. I think one won't be able to stand like he did, I guarantee. If a non-kickboxer was in there, I don't think he'll be able to walk for six months."
See the full interview below:
The former multi-time Muay Thai and kickboxing world champion was thankful that Takeru was a professional fighter and was tough enough to endure the amount of damage that he sustained from that clash with the ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion.
Superlek admits he tried knocking out Takeru during their world title fight
After reading the tendencies and holes in the defense of Takeru, the Kiatmoo9 Gym affiliatte admitted that he wanted to score a knockout finish against the Japanese superstar through a knee strike.
However, that finish didn't materialize because of his toughness and grit.
The Kiatmoo9 Gym representative also praised Takeru for his durability and perseverance because he was able to survive his onslaught for five rounds. He even had his moment during the third round, where he got the defending champion surviving at the corner of the ring.
North American viewers with an active Prime Video subscription can rewatch all the action from ONE 165 via the free event replay.