On April 29 at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, former three-division K-1 Champion Takeru Segawa will challenge for the ONE Interim Flyweight Kickboxing World Title in his retirement fight, while reigning ONE Flyweight MMA World Champion Yuya Wakamatsu defends his gold on home soil.
Takeru's story carries a finality that gives it a unique weight. The 34-year-old Team Vasileus fighter will step into the Circle for the last time when he faces Thai megastar Rodtang Jitmuangnon in a five-round super-fight.
The opponent is the one man who has consumed his thoughts since before he ever competed in ONE Championship.
"I'm incredibly happy to be able to fight Rodtang again in my final professional bout. Ever since before I joined ONE, all I've ever thought about was defeating Rodtang," Takeru said.
The obsession is understandable. When these two met at ONE 172 in March 2025, Rodtang ended matters in just 80 seconds, handing the Japanese icon one of the most painful defeats of his 45-5 career.
"I will prove once and for all that Takeru is at the center of the combat sports world. I'm going to win this," he said.
While Takeru fights for his legacy, Wakamatsu fights to extend his.
The 31-year-old ONE Flyweight MMA World Champion has become the face of Japanese MMA through sheer force of will and performance, knocking out the Adriano Moraes for the title and then defeating ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Joshua Pacio in a Tokyo defense that sent the home crowd into raptures.
Standing in his way is Avazbek Kholmirzaev, a 25-year-old Uzbek wrecking ball who has stopped eight of his nine ONE opponents and arrives on a six-fight winning streak.
The challenger has made a habit of derailing champions' plans, and he will bring that same disruptive energy to Ariake Arena regardless of the occasion or the crowd.
Wakamatsu is not looking past any of it. He is looking forward to all of it.
"I want to give everything I have and show the skills and mental strength I have built up over the years at ONE Samurai 1. I am confident that fans will see a new side of Yuya Wakamatsu," he said.
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