5 Reasons To Watch The Blockbuster ONE 172: Takeru Vs. Rodtang On March 23
The world’s largest martial arts organization will soon touch down at the iconic Saitama Super Arena in Japan for one of the biggest, most star-studded fight cards in years.
ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang goes down this Sunday, March 23, with an absolutely stacked lineup of action scheduled for the global pay-per-view.
From the monumental super-fight atop the bill to the plethora of World Title showdowns and the incredible showcase of Japanese talent, the event is shaping up to be legendary.
Before the ONE superstars take to the ring in just a few days, we look at five key reasons why ONE 172 is a must-watch spectacle.
#1 An Epic Main Event Super-Fight
In the headline attraction, Japanese icon Takeru “Natural Born Krusher” Segawa will square off with former long-reigning ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon in a kickboxing super-fight for the ages.
The bout has been more than a year in the making, with fans anxiously awaiting the biggest striking matchup in recent memory.
In one corner, 33-year-old Takeru is a former three-division K-1 Champion who has long been regarded among the planet’s best pound-for-pound kickboxers.
He’ll look to defend home turf and test his all-action style against the ultimate entertainer in Rodtang.
The 27-year-old Thai has lost just a single striking bout across 18 thrilling appearances in ONE, garnering legions of fans with his inimitable charisma and showmanship.
Simply put, the collective eyes of the combat sports world will be focused on Takeru and Rodtang this Sunday.
#2 Five Massive World Title Fights
Before that main event, an unprecedented five ONE World Title fights will go down.
First, former undisputed strawweight kickboxing kings Jonathan Di Bella and Sam-A Gaiyanghadao will collide for the ONE Interim Strawweight Kickboxing World Title in a clash between the old and new guards.
Both men have suffered defeat against reigning titleholder Prajanchai PK Saenchai, and each is hungry to punch his ticket to a World Title unification bout – and a chance at revenge.
Next, reigning ONE Women’s Atomweight Kickboxing World Champion “The Queen” Phetjeeja Lukjaoporongtom will face perhaps her stiffest test yet against Japanese knockout artist Kana “Krusher Queen” Morimoto.
The Thai phenom has looked nothing short of sensational throughout her dominant 6-0 run in ONE, further cementing herself as a seemingly unstoppable force in the striking arts.
But Kana, with heaps of elite experience and shocking one-punch power, thinks she can end “The Queen’s” reign of terror.
After that, ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai will aim for two-sport glory when he faces Japanese fan favorite Masaaki Noiri for the ONE Interim Featherweight Kickboxing World Title.
Both men are master technicians, gifted athletes, and proven finishers, potentially setting up a Fight of the Year candidate.
MMA gold will also be up for grabs, as former multiple-time divisional kingpin Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes takes on red-hot Japanese star Yuya “Little Piranha” Wakamatsu in a rematch for the vacant ONE Flyweight MMA World Title.
The Brazilian scored a submission win over Wakamatsu back in 2022, but since then, “Little Piranha” has won three of four to earn another crack at the crown.
In the final World Title clash, reigning bantamweight Muay Thai king “The Kicking Machine” Superlek Kiatmoo9 will put his belt on the line against young Thai-Algerian prodigy Nabil Anane.
As a two-sport, two-weight titleholder who is riding a sensational 11-fight winning streak over elite opposition, Superlek is widely recognized as the planet’s top pound-for-pound striker.
While “The Kicking Machine” holds a 2023 win over Anane, the latter has shown nothing but drastic improvements since then.
The towering 20-year-old prodigy has since won six straight fights and is coming off the biggest victory of his career – a stunning knockout of Nico Carillo to claim the interim belt and set up this World Title unification fight with Superlek.
#3 Japanese Stars Debut On Home Turf
In addition to Takeru and the World Title bouts featuring Kana, Noiri, and Wakamatsu, the card is loaded with Japan’s top fighters and rising stars.
Shoot Boxing and Rise Champion Kaito Ono has already dominated the Asian kickboxing scene, and he’ll now look to catapult himself into the ONE World Title picture when he debuts against Armenian great Marat Grigorian in an explosive featherweight kickboxing tilt.
The elite-level kickboxing doesn’t stop there, as 23-year-old upstart Ryusei Kumagai makes his hotly anticipated ONE debut against battle-tested Thai striker Suriyanlek Por Yenying in a 132-pound affair.
A dynamic athlete with proven knockout power, Ryusei has tasted defeat just one time in his pro career.
There’s no doubt that Nadaka Yoshinari is one of the planet’s top non-Thai Muay Thai fighters, and at ONE 172, he’ll begin his quest for ONE Championship glory. Nadaka will make his promotional debut against Thailand’s Rak Erawan in an atomweight Muay Thai clash.
The decorated Japanese striker has won no shortage of prestigious titles outside of ONE and comes into the bout on a remarkable 35-fight winning streak that dates back to 2019.
#4 The Next Step For An MMA Wunderkind
As the younger brother to current two-division ONE MMA World Champion Christian Lee and former ONE Women’s Atomweight MMA World Champion Angela Lee, young prodigy Adrian “The Phenom” Lee has plenty of high expectations surrounding him.
After two professional fights – both inside the world’s largest martial arts organization – and two highlight-reel finishes, the 19-year-old is already living up to that hype.
Lee will take another step on his journey toward stardom when he faces fellow undefeated talent Takeharu Ogawa in a lightweight clash between two of the sport’s most exciting rising stars.
#5 John Lineker’s Kickboxing Debut
Former ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion John “Hands of Stone” Lineker delivered nothing but nonstop thrills during his three-fight run in Muay Thai, and he’ll now lace up the bigger gloves of kickboxing to face former ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Hiroki Akimoto.
Just like he has throughout his MMA career, Lineker approaches his striking bouts with a fearless, forward-marching style and a singular focus on scoring the knockout.
Against a top-five ranked contender and former titleholder in Akimoto, the hard-hitting Brazilian will certainly have his hands full. But given his famed power, he could secure the upset and announce himself as a legitimate contender in the talent-stacked bantamweight kickboxing division.
