"Martial artists should aim to be recognized globally" - Takeru says watching fellow Japanese athlete Shohei Ohtani thrive inspires him
Japanese superstar Takeru Segawa has been able to build a large fan following and a great career by competing in his home country.
The former K-1 world champion is one of the biggest names in the kickboxing world but he isn't satisfied with stopping there.
He hopes that he can continue to grow his profile by competing on a global stage since signing to ONE Championship last year.
His second fight in the promotion is approaching on Sept. 27 and 'The Natural Born Crusher' has all the motivation he needs.
Not only is he in search of his first win after coming up short on his debut against Superlek, but Takeru wants to inspire others to strive for more.
In a recent interview with ONE Championship ahead of his return at ONE Friday Fights 81, he spoke about how watching LA Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani whilst he was in the United States gave him a renewed focus:
"Seeing Japanese athletes like Ohtani performing on the world stage made me think that martial artists should aim to be more recognized globally."
Takeru never fails to leave an impression
Fortunately for Takeru, he is the kind of martial artist who embodies the star quality that you need in order to be recognized globally.
He's already done that in Japan and at ONE 165, he showed why he has become such a draw in his home country.
The flyweight kickboxing title challenger went to war with Superlek and though his next opponent isn't that same best in the world caliber, in Thant Zin you have an opponent that also won't back down.
Their meeting at ONE Friday Fights 81 is sure to produce another exciting fight in Takeru's long and storied career.
By securing an impressive win, he will hope that he can continue inspiring others to aim for the top.
ONE Friday Fights 81 will air live in Asian primetime via watch.onefc.com