‘Even I’m Surprised’ – Rodtang Recaps First-Round Knockout Win Over Takeru At ONE 172

Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon needed just 80 seconds to stop Takeru “Natural Born Krusher” Segawa and close the show on one of the biggest kickboxing fights in recent history.

On Sunday, March 23, the collective eyes of the martial arts world converged on ONE 172 at Japan’s Saitama Super Arena as the two megastars threw down in a monumental flyweight kickboxing main event that was years in the making.

Sporting washboard abs and a look of supreme confidence, Rodtang seemed to be in the finest condition of his career.

The former long-reigning ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion marched forward from the opening bell, fearlessly stalking the decorated Japanese icon before uncorking a thunderous left hook that sent Takeru crashing to the canvas and unable to answer the count.

That highlight-reel knockout left the Japanese crowd — and Rodtang himself — stunned.

Afterward, the 27-year-old explained that, although he had specifically devised a game plan around his left hook, he didn’t think the finish would come so quickly:

“I didn’t expect that knockout to happen in the first round, but we did train very hard for it, to find a way to finish Takeru.

“Back home in Thailand, I’ve been training very hard for this fight. I have studied all the weaknesses and all the openings of Takeru, and that left hook is one of the moves that I trained. I feel like I did my part, but I didn’t expect that finish that quickly.”

Tensions between Rodtang and Takeru grew to a fever pitch in the months and weeks leading up to ONE 172.

Still, despite trading harsh words before the fight, “The Iron Man” had nothing but respect for his adversary:

“Since Takeru joined ONE Championship, I’ve been watching Takeru. I know that Takeru is a K-1 Champion, and he is one of the best. Takeru has a never-give-up spirit. He’s one of the best in the world, and I thought this fight would have lasted longer.”

Ultimately, Rodtang was able to do the unthinkable and finish Takeru — a man long regarded as one of kickboxing’s pound-for-pound best who is renowned for his super-human durability and granite chin.

Given “Natural Born Krusher’s” reputation, Rodtang had planned to spend the first couple of rounds softening up his opponent before going for the kill.

With that in mind, the Thai’s jaw-crushing left hook shocked even himself:

“As I answered in some of the press conferences before, I wanted to take the first two rounds to box it up with Takeru, to see who’s gonna be the one left standing. But it’s incredible. I didn’t even realize that my hands had that much power to knock him out. Even I’m surprised.”

Rodtang Says Weight Issues Are Behind Him

Beyond his unforgettable finish of Takeru Segawa at ONE 172, Rodtang Jitmuangnon also silenced a number of his critics.

After failing to make the flyweight limit in each of his last two fights — one of which cost him the division’s World Title belt — many had come to question “The Iron Man’s” discipline.

Rodtang said that he heard those criticisms loud and clear, adding that the loss of his belt motivated him to work even harder:

“It feels like I just woke up from a bad dream. In the two past fights, I missed weight, and I lost something that I cherish, that I love the most, my Muay Thai belt. I have to fight the criticism.

“I lost that belt, not because I lost to my opponent, but because of myself that I couldn’t make weight. And that woke me up. It told me that I have to work harder. I have to wake up in the morning and have to train hard, and I have to do anything that I can to get that belt back.”

Indeed, Rodtang displayed a clean and cut physique to go along with his terrifying power against Takeru.

He said that, after working closely with a nutritionist and fine-tuning his conditioning regimen, he’s back on track to dominate the flyweight division:

“I felt like this was a bad dream, but now the result clearly shows that I have found success again. I reminded myself every day during training about how successful I was and why I became famous in the first place, and now I’m really dedicated.

“I take no breaks. I train every day, and I want to say thank you to Chatri for recommending Peter, my nutritionist, who’s been helping me very much with my conditioning. It feels like this is a new world for me right now.”