“This fight should have lasted longer” - Rodtang surprised he was able to finish Takeru in less than a round
Even Rodtang Jitmuangnon didn't expect his ONE 172 megaevent showdown with Takeru Segawa to end the way it did. While 'The Iron Man' was hell-bent on sealing the deal with an emphatic knockout, he wasn't anticipating it to come in just under two minutes.
Truth be told, Thailand was having a rough time at ONE 172 after pound-for-pound greats Superlek Kiatmoo9 and Tawanchai PK Saenchai suffered surprising defeats.
Rodtang, though, stole the show in the curtain closer when he detonated a devilish left cross bomb to silence the pro-Takeru crowd inside Japan's historic Saitama Super Arena.
Appearing at the ONE 172 post-event press conference, Rodtang said he expected a grueling war of attrition against 'The Natural Born Krusher'.
The former flyweight Muay Thai world champion shared:
"What I think about Takeru, since Takeru joined ONE Championship I've been watching Takeru. I know that Takeru is a K1 champion, and he is one of the best. Takeru has never given up spirit. He's one of the best in the world, and I feel like this fight should have lasted longer."
Watch the full ONE 172 post-event presser:
Takeru's godly durability was no match for Rodtang's mind-numbing power
We've witnessed Takeru's unrelenting warrior spirit in his incredible bouts over the years, which quite frankly, makes Rodtang's statement-making KO even more impressive.
The Japanese star showed an insane ability to weather punishment against Superlek and even overcame a knockdown over Thant Zin to score a come-from-behind victory.
After getting dropped by Rodtang, Takeru wisely took his time to compose himself. The Team Vasileus man even gave everything he had to answer the referee's standing eight count but his efforts went for naught.
Meanwhile, Rodtang certainly looked better than ever physically and mentally heading into this massive showdown with Takeru. One thing's for sure, a motivated and dedicated Rodtang is simply bad news for every flyweight striker in the world.
The replay of ONE 172: Takeru vs Rodtang is available via watch.onefc.com.