Hamilton fighter Denis Puric set for kickboxing showdown in Tokyo

By Canadian Press on November 14, 2025.

There isn’t much in combat sports that Denis (The Bosnian Menace) Puric hasn’t done.

The 40-year-old Hamilton-based fighter has competed around the world, including the unlikely venue of Thai prison (as a guest rather than inmate). While Puric has competed in mixed martial arts for Bellator and other promotions, these days he is focusing on kickboxing under the One Championship banner.

On Saturday, Puric takes on Takeru (Natural Born Krusher) Segawa in Tokyo on the undercard of “One 173: Superbon vs. Noiri.” The Japanese fighter, known simply as Takeru, is ranked second among One’s featherweight kickboxing contenders.

The main event at Ariake Arena is a featherweight kickboxing unification title bout between Thailand’s Superbon, the reigning champion, and interim title-holder Masaaki Noiri of Japan.

Calgary’s Jake (The One) Peacock is also on the card, taking on Thailand’s Suakim Sor Jor Tongprajin in a bantamweight Muay Thai bout.

Puric, who last fought in Japan in an eight-man K-1 tournament in 2015, is 3-3-0 with one no-contest in One Championship Muay Thai action. He lost his lone previous kickboxing bout in the promotion to Thailand’s Rodtang (The Iron Man) Jitmuangnon, a former flyweight Muay Thai world champion, in June 2024.

One’s Muay Thai bouts feature three three-minute rounds (five rounds for a title bout) with fighters wearing mixed martial arts gloves. Clinches are allowed, and knockouts can be scored via punch, kick, knee, elbow or legal throw.

One’s kickboxing division allows for knockouts via punches, kicks, or knees, with fighters wearing boxing gloves. Clinching is not allowed.

Puric believes kickboxing suits him better.

“I can perform better at kickboxing. I was always a better kickboxer than Muay Thai fighter,” he said. “And there’s a lot of young lions coming up and getting very good. So it’s a little bit harder to keep up with these young bucks in Muay Thai. But in kickboxing, I think I can hang with anybody, for sure.”

The 34-year-old Takeru comes with a distinguished fight resume.

In 2014, he joined the K-1 circuit, where he became a three-division kickboxing champion during an unbeaten seven-year run in the Japanese promotion. He was then signed to One where he has a 1-2-0 record, losing to Rodtang last time out in May.

While Puric has trained extensively in Thailand over the years, he elected to hold his camp on home turf this time to be close to his strength and conditioning coach.

“At this age, man, I can’t learn nothing new,” he said. “It’s mostly just getting in shape and doing it the right way.”

Puric made his ONE Championship debut in May 2022 and has fought in the promotion in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. He lost to Thailand’s Jaosuayai Mor Krungthepthonburi last time out, dropped by a second-round body shot, in March in Bangkok.

He expects Takeru to have taken notice of that ending.

“He’s super-fast, a pitter-patter guy. I think he’s going to set up body shots,” he said.

“I’ve been working on that, strengthening the body, making it bulletproof, knowing he’s going to be coming for the body,” he added. “I’ll be ready for whatever he’s got.”

He hopes a win over Takeru leads to bigger things.

Puric wants another shot at Rodtang, the No. 1 contender among flyweight kickboxers, perhaps for an interim title fight,given current Thai champion (The Kicking Machine) Superlek Kiatmoo9 might have difficulty still making the weight.

Puric says he plans to keep fighting “until God tells me to stop.”

“I’m going to keep rocking ’til the wheels fall off,” he said.

When not training, Puric serves as a coach at his gym, Hamilton’s Soi Dogs MMA & Fitness, and is looking to move into a bigger location.

Born to Bosnian parents in Slovenia, Puric and his family lived in both countries before fleeing the war-torn region in 1997 to move to Canada. They lived in Regina and Winnipeg before settling in Hamilton two years later.

Puric continued his taekwondo studies and went on to become a multiple Canadian champion, eventually competing in several combat sports. He compiled an 8-5-0 record in MMA.

One of his early bouts in Thailand was behind bars, when he was brought in to fight an inmate as part of the country’s Prison Fights program. The Thai inmates in the program fight for reduced prison time, so are extremely motivated.

Puric lost the bout, which was staged in the prison courtyard.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2025

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press