The most prominent face of Japanese kickboxing, Takeru Segawa, steps into the ring for the last time on April 29 at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.
He will challenge Thai superstar Rodtang Jitmuangnon for the ONE Interim Flyweight Kickboxing World Title in the main event of ONE SAMURAI 1.
The retirement decision has been years in the making.
The 34-year-old three-division K-1 Champion did not arrive at this conclusion overnight, and he is careful to frame it not as an ending forced upon him but as a choice made from a position of clarity.
"I had been thinking about when would be the right timing to retire for about three or four years. So the moment when I thought that this would truly be the last time I could fight at my strongest condition was probably about a year ago," Takeru said.
That distinction matters deeply to him. A 45-5 career record built at the very summit of kickboxing tells the story of a competitor who could still operate at a high level.
The retirement is not a concession to age or diminishing ability.
"If I wanted to continue, I think I probably still could. But I thought this might be the last time I can put myself in my strongest condition, so I decided to retire this time," he said.
It is a rematch of their ONE 172 meeting in 2025, which ended in 80 seconds when Rodtang delivered one of the most stunning knockouts of the year.
What gives this final fight its deepest meaning, however, goes beyond personal ambition or a ONE World Title.
Since arriving in ONE Championship, Takeru has seen mixed results, and those defeats have left a mark not because of what they cost him, but because of what they meant to the people closest to him.
"I want to show a victory to those who have supported me, to everyone on my team, and my family. Since coming to ONE, I feel like I betrayed their feelings by losing fights. But this is my chance to let them see me retire as the strongest in the world," Takeru said.
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