TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Jonathan Haggerty’s journey to the bantamweight muay Thai division
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Jonathan Haggerty
After a few medical mishaps, famed ONE Championship fighter Jonathan Haggerty is making his long-awaited return to the Circle.
“The General” takes on rising Russian star Vladimir Kuzmin in a bantamweight Muay Thai bout at ONE Fight Night 4: Abbasov vs. Lee on Nov. 19 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Viewers have been itching to see the 25-year-old back in battle since his last appearance earlier this year. With a record of 18-4 and having held the ONE flyweight muay Thai world title, Haggerty’s style represents what makes this generation of muay Thai so exciting.
He quickly became a fan favorite after his debut in the organization in January 2019. The Brit won a unanimous decision over future ONE strawweight muay Thai world champion Joseph Lasiri at ONE: ETERNAL GLORY and quickly established himself as an explosive fighter.
Just a few months later, Haggerty stunned the world when he defeated muay Thai legend Sam-A Gaiyanghadao for the ONE flyweight muay Thai world championship at ONE: FOR HONOR.
Then only 22 years old, Haggerty went five rounds with the Thai, who had more than 400 fights and multiple muay Thai world titles. After going toe-to-toe with the illustrious Sam-A, “The General” emerged from the Circle victorious, awash in a rain of gold confetti.
Read also: Garry Tonon threatens to ‘break off’ Shamil Gasanov’s leg in response to calloutHowever, his reign as ONE flyweight muay Thai world champion was short-lived after losing the belt to Rodtang Jitmuangnon at ONE: DAWN OF HEROES in August 2019 and failing to recapture it against the same man at ONE: A NEW TOMORROW in January 2020.
Ever the competitor, the Englishman quickly bounced back and picked up two subsequent victories. The first was against Taiki “Silent Sniper” Naito at ONE: BIG BANG II in December 2020. He then defeated Mongkolpetch Petchyindee by unanimous decision this past February at ONE: BAD BLOOD.
At bantamweight, even more opportunities make themselves available to the crafty fighter – if he should beat Kuzmin.
Don’t miss ONE Fight Night 4: Abbasov vs. Lee on Saturday, Nov. 19, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Tickets can be purchased at https://ticketmaster.sg/activity/detail/22_onenovsg.
This article was published in collaboration with ONE Championship.
