SUMMARY
- Rodtang Jitmuangnon was scheduled to return against Takeru Segawa.
- The super fight was scheduled to take place on January 28, in Tokyo, Japan.
Rodtang Jitmuangnon is officially out of the high-profile ONE 165 main event against kickboxing superstar Takeru Segawa.
“The Iron Man” was set to face the Japanese phenom in the January 28 headliner, but it has been revealed that an injury has changed the circumstances surrounding the blockbuster fight. In the wake of the announcement, Rodtang took to his Instagram page to confirm the news of his injury-enforced withdrawal.
In the post, the 26-year-old Thai megastar shared an image of himself holding a hospital report and revealed that a hand injury suffered in training was the culprit for the cancellation of the fight.
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“I would like to inform you officially that my left hand was injured during practice. Regarding the fight with Takeru, ONE Championship will make an official announcement later,” he wrote. “I apologize to the fans who were following and waiting for this fight. I will definitely recover quickly and return to the ring again.”
Unfortunately, the wait will go on for fans to see Rodtang and Takeru lock horns. The fight has been hotly anticipated since Takeru signed with ONE Championship in 2023 after being the hottest free agent in combat sports.
Superlek Kiatmoo9 replaces Rodtang Jitmuangnon in ONE 165 headliner
ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong confirmed Rodtang’s news on Friday and announced that ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion Superlek Kiatmoo9 will step in to defend his strap against Takeru.
“BREAKING NEWS: Rodtang is officially out of ONE 165 in Tokyo due to an injury. Superlek vs Takeru is your new main event with the world title now on the line! LET’S GOOOOO!!! #WeAreONE,” Sityodtong wrote on Facebook.
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As luck would have it, Superlek steps in as a more-than-suitable replacement after his original opponent – Elias Mahmoudi – was also forced to withdraw from their ONE Fight Night 18 main event that was set for January 13.
“The Kicking Machine” has been a dominant force in the flyweight kickboxing division and defeated Rodtang by unanimous decision under Muay Thai rules in his last outing – the critically acclaimed ONE Friday Fights 34 main event in September.