The hugely popular Muay Thai fighter Rodtang Jitmuangnon headlined ONE 172 against Takeru Segawa, the only three-weight champion in K-1 kickboxing history, in a long-awaited kickboxing bout.

This fight would be fought in the ONE Championship Flyweight division and was first meant to happen in January 2024, with a Rodtang injury causing its cancellation.

Many expected this fight to be closely contested with both men at the top of the kickboxing pyramid.

The bout started slowly, with both men landing some heavy leg kicks but also being cautious in their approach. Both seemed to be wary of the other’s skillset and weren’t taking many risks in the opening exchanges.

This soon changed, however, as Rodtang began to control the pace of the fight, closing the centre of the ring and pushing Takeru back with kicks to the body. He then landed a big one-two combination which momentarily stunned Takeru.

Rodtang continued to push the pace and dropped his opponent with two huge left hands, with the referee, Olivier Coste, eventually calling an end to the contest after just one minute and 20 seconds of round one.

A statement victory for Rodtang against a veteran of kickboxing, with the Thai fighter also picking up a $50,000 bonus in the process.

Jack Latham