Takeru Segawa To Be Inducted Into Hall Of Fame At ONE SAMURAI 4 In October
ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong announced the news via Facebook on May 5.
ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong announced that Japanese kickboxing legend Takeru “Natural Born Krusher” Segawa will be inducted into the ONE Hall of Fame at ONE SAMURAI 4 in October. The announcement comes in the wake of one of the most emotionally charged moments in ONE Championship history, as Takeru brought the curtain down on a legendary career by stopping Thai megastar and former ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon via fifth-round TKO to claim the ONE Interim Flyweight Kickboxing World Championship in his retirement fight. The victory, which avenged a 2025 loss to the iconic Thai, unfolded in front of a rapturous home crowd at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, on April 29 and captivated martial arts fans watching all around the world.
Sityodtong did not mince his words when describing what Takeru’s career has meant to the sport and what his induction into the ONE Hall of Fame represents. He said via Facebook: “I am thrilled to announce that Takeru (46-5) will be inducted into the ONE Hall of Fame later this year, joining fellow legendary World Champions Demetrious Johnson, Bibiano Fernandes, and Aung La N Sang. In addition to his Hall of Fame induction, Takeru will receive a 10-gong salute for his retirement ceremony at ONE SAMURAI 4 in October.
“Takeru now retires as arguably the greatest Japanese kickboxer in history, first conquering Japan with titles in K-1 and then conquering the world with the most important World Title of his career on the world’s biggest stage of martial arts in ONE. ” View this post on Instagram When the referee waved off the contest and the official result was announced, Sityodtong placed 26 pounds of gold on Takeru’s shoulders. In that moment, the legendary striker could not hold back his emotions.
Tears streamed down his face as he clutched the belt the way a mother holds a newborn child, an image that will live long in the memories of everyone who witnessed it. It was the perfect ending to one of the most storied careers in the history of Japanese combat sports. Takeru rode off into the sunset with a 46-5 career record that includes 28 finishes, among them three victories inside ONE Championship.