Takeru wants to repay ONE’s faith with a bounce-back victory in Bangkok: “I will definitely win”

After ONE Championship did him a solid in his promotional debut, kickboxing icon Takeru Segawa plans to return the favor this Friday.

In January, the former three-division K-1 champion stepped into the ring with Superlek Kiatmoo9 at ONE 165 in Tokyo, challenging 'The Kicking Machine' for the ONE flyweight kickboxing world championship.

After five intense rounds of action, Superlek was declared the winner via decision.

Recognizing that a title opportunity in his first ONE Championship appearance was the ultimate show of respect, 'The Natural Born Crusher' plans on paying the promotion back by delivering a performance to remember in his sophomore appearance:

"I'm frustrated about losing," Takeru told ONE in a recent interview. "However, the fact that I was given a ONE world title match for my debut shows that ONE values me, so I will definitely win the next fight."

The Japanese superstar will have his chance on Sept. 27 when he heads to the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, for a clash with Burmeses knockout artist Thant Zin.

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Takeru won't have it easy against Thant Zin

Getting a win inside the 'Mecca of Muay Thai' will be no easy task as Takeru meets a young and hungry prospect with a couple of highlight-reel knockouts already under his belt.

Making his promotional earlier this year, the Myanmar native earned a crushing second-round KO against Jaising Sitnayokpansak at ONE Friday Fights 52. He followed that up with another epic finish, this time against Tai Sor Jor Piek Uthai at ONE Friday Fights 76.

He only needed 74 seconds to bring his fight with Uthai to a close. The 19-year-old sensation will look to deliver a similar performance when he meets his toughest test yet against 'The Natural Born Crusher.'

ONE Friday Fights 81 will air live and exclusively on pay-per-view on Friday, Sept. 27 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. You can purchase the event exclusively on the official ONE Championship website.