Takeru confident he will knock out Denis Puric in “an all-out slugfest” at ONE 173

Japanese kickboxing star Takeru Segawa sees a highly competitive showdown against Denis Puric this weekend. He is confident though of coming up with a win, no less than by way of knockout.

‘Natural Born Krusher’ spoke about it in an interview with ONE Championship ahead of his flyweight kickboxing clash against ‘The Bosnian Menace’ at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri on Nov. 16 at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.

Takeru shared he is expecting an all-out war on fight night and that he is looking for a statement KO finish of Puric.

The Team Vasileus standout said:

“I really think it’ll be a thrilling match. He seems to think he can KO me, but conversely, I think he’s the kind of fighter worth knocking out. If it comes down to an all-out slugfest, I’m absolutely confident that I can finish him. I think it’ll be an exciting fight.”

Takeru continued:

“It’s not just about winning. It’s also about who can deliver the most thrilling fight and secure a KO victory. That’s the kind of battle I envision.”

Takeru is out for a huge bounce-back win at ONE 173 after suffering a tough first-round KO loss at the hands of Thai superstar Rodtang Jitmuangnon in his last fight in March also in Japan. It is a defeat that he has admitted still resonates to this date and something he badly wants to redeem himself from.

Tickets for ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri are available via ePlus in Japan. The event is also live on pay-per-view exclusively at Live.ONEFC.com.

For more information on the marquee live on-ground show, follow Sportskeeda MMA and ONE Championship.

Takeru looking to use Denis Puric fight to get back at Rodtang

Apart from swinging back to the win column, Takeru is also out to get a victory over Denis Puric at ONE 173 to get an opportunity to run it back against Rodtang.

Dealt a massive KO defeat by ‘The Iron Man’ in his last match, the Japanese kickboxer has made it known that he wants to get back at the Jitmuangnon Gym standout.

Takeru told ONE Championship in an interview:

“My biggest motivation is to get revenge on Rodtang. Signing with ONE was to fight Rodtang. I want to face him again in the best condition possible.”

The long-awaited showdown between Takeru and Rodtang finally took place in March at ONE 172 in Japan. Unfortunately for the former K-1 champion, it did not last long, as he was overpowered and knocked out just 80 seconds into the match.