Rodtang and Takeru to clash in blockbuster start to 2024 at ONE 165

ONE Championship will get its 2024 off to a bang when two of the organisation’s biggest stars collide in a kick-boxing super-fight at ONE 165.

Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Takeru Segawa are set to clash as the martial arts organisation returns to Japan on January 28, with an action-packed card, that also includes a long-awaited lightweight battle between Shinya Aoki and Sage Northcutt.

The matchups at Ariake Arena were confirmed by Chatri Sityodtong, ONE’s chairman and CEO, at a press conference in Tokyo on Thursday, with officials predicting the headline fight would be an “instant classic”.

Firmly established at the top of the Muay Thai food chain, Rodtang has successfully defended his world title five times since winning the belt in August 2019.

But the Thai superstar lost a close decision to ONE flyweight kick-boxing world champion Superlek Kiatmoo9 in September, his first defeat under all-striking rules in the organisation, even if many fans thought ‘The Iron Man’ deserved the win.

Meanwhile, Takeru has long been regarded as one of the planet’s top pound-for-pound kick-boxers and arrives in ONE as the sport’s hottest free agent.

The 32-year-old is a multiple-time K-1 world champion across three different weight classes, and boasts a stunning 42-3 professional record with 25 victories coming by way of knockout.

Northcutt’s clash with Aoki is also sure to get fans excited, with the bout representing a clash between the new generation and the old guard.

A karate prodigy in his youth, Northcutt had a rough start to life in ONE, losing on his debut after signing for the organisation in 2018, a result that forced an extended stay on the sidelines as he recovered from injuries and continued to fine-tune his skills.

However, the 27-year-old Texas native returned in spectacular fashion in May, scoring a surprising first-round submission victory over Ahmed Mujtaba at ONE Fight Night 10 in Colorado and announced his presence as a real threat to the lightweight MMA division’s elite.

Facing him will be a submission specialist and veteran of nearly 60 professional bouts, including 17 MMA fights in ONE, and one of the sport’s most respected stars and feared ground fighters.

Over the course of his illustrious career, Aoki owns 47 victories with 30 coming by way of submission. In addition, the Japanese icon is a four-time ONE Lightweight MMA world champion.

While additional bouts for ONE’s blockbuster start to next year will be announced in coming weeks, tickets are now on sale through Rakuten Ticket.