Rodtang, known as “The Iron Man,” and Takeru, known as “The Natural Born Crusher,” are two rivals who went head to head at ONE 172 on March 23, 2025. Both fighters are known for their brutal dominance in the ring, making this one of the biggest fights in ONE FC history. Leading
In the fight, Rodtang admitted in an interview with Sportskeeda that he felt nervous but excited, saying, “I felt scared, but it made me excited His kickboxing style is strong.” Takeru, speaking to Combat Press, showed that same confidence, stating, “Rodtang is truly strong… I want to prove I’m the world’s strongest by beating Rodtang.”
The fight was scheduled for five rounds but ended early at the 1:20 mark of the first round when Takeru was TKO’d. Rodtang’s pressure pushed Takeru into the corner, where he threw a left hook that landed. He followed it with two more punches that nearly connected, then another left hook that landed clean on the chin and knocked Takeru down.
Fans and analysts were shocked by how quickly it ended, with ONE Championship’s official coverage describing Rodtang’s performance as nearly “unbeatable” at his peak. Across the fight community, many fans online, including discussions on platforms like Reddit’s Muay Thai forums, described Rodtang as “a beast” and pointed to his left hook as the moment that changed the fight.
Takeru was stunned, but he still managed to get to his knees and looked focused. His corner was telling him to take a breather and take his time, but before the ten count finished, the referee called the fight. At the same moment, Takeru jumped back up, showing the ref he was ready to continue but it was too late. After the fight, Rodtang said in an interview with BJ Penn.com, “I didn’t expect that knockout to happen in the first round,” which made the ending even more surprising.
Now, on April 29, 2026, “The Iron Man” and “The Natural Born Crusher” will meet again at ONE Samurai 1 for the Interim Flyweight Kickboxing Title, broadcasting live from the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.
With controversy over the stoppage, the speed of the knockout, and both fighters’ pride on the line, fans are expecting a much more complete and explosive war in the rematch.
