Takeru not underestimating Thant Zin's aggressive lethwei fighting style: "I need to be cautious of that"

Ahead of his return at ONE Friday Fights 81, Takeru Segawa has had to make some changes to his preparation.

The Japanese superstar is looking to secure his first win under the ONE banner when he makes his way to Lumpinee Stadium on Sept. 27.

At first, the return of 'The Natural Born Crusher' was scheduled to take place against Black Panther in a high-level kickboxing clash.

However, after Black Panter was forced to withdraw due to an injury, he was replaced by Thant Zin.

Coming from a striking background in lethwei, he brings a very different style to the table than the man that he has replaced.

This means that Takeru needs to ensure that he is prepared for this new opponent.

In an interview with ONE Championship, he spoke about the traits of his opponent that he needs to be ready for when they collide:

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"He's the type to throw full-swing punches with a lot of power in single shots. Being from lethwei, he has physical strength and throws each punch with a clenched first, so I need to be cautious of that."

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Takeru will be ready to throw down on September 27

Takeru may not have gotten his hand raised on his ONE Championship debut but he did show the fans what he is all about.

The former K-1 world champion went toe-to-toe with arguably the best in the world right now, the two-sport and two-weight world champion Superlek Kiatmoo9.

Takeru showed that though he is a fantastic technician, he can dig deep to survive in the deep waters when he needs to.

The 33-year-old won't back down from a war with Thant Zin but with the style that his opponent brings to the table, being the sharper striker may be his best route to victory.

ONE Friday Fights 81 will air live in Asian primetime via watch.onefc.com

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