Two-sport king Jonathan Haggerty may have broken away from the pack in ONE Championship’s bantamweight striking ranks in 2023 by claiming both the Muay Thai and kickboxing crowns. But he believes a World Championship isn’t solidified until it has been defended.
He’ll start that journey in the ONE Fight Night 19 headliner this Saturday, 17th February, when he defends the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title against Felipe Lobo inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.
Haggerty finished Nong-O Hama and Fabricio Andrade, respectively, to win his World Titles, and he is now the man that a lot of ONE fighters want to take on. Many would bend under that pressure, but the London native relishes the attention.
“It’s just a bigger target now, mate. That's all. I got the other division, the kickboxing category on my back, calling me out,” Haggerty said.
“I'm still the same person, without the belt or with the belt. I'm still the same Jonathan Haggerty. Just a bigger target on my back, and I'm here for it. I welcome them all."
Right after knocking out Andrade to pick up the vacant ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title last November, Haggerty took aim at Lobo, who was in “Wonder Boy’s” corner during their fight.
“Demolition Man” had previously called him out, which he had responded to. But from there, the two-sport king feels Lobo lost his bottle, as it went no further.
“The General” wasn’t having that, and he reignited their war of words in the hopes of locking in his next opponent.
“It started off with this: when he defeated Saemapetch in the ring, he was calling my name. He was in the back room after the fight, calling my name, and I think his adrenaline must have died down because I heard nothing from him. I was sending him messages telling him ‘come on and let's have it,’” Haggerty detailed.
“He couldn't put pen to paper. But after I beat Andrade, he was in the corner, and I just told him straight, ‘You don't want it.’ It's not every day the champion is calling out the number one contender. It should be the other way around. The number one contender calling out the champ. I just can't wait to give him a beating, that's all.”
Despite the hostility, Haggerty values Lobo as a competitor and looks forward to their collision. But that’s as far as the niceties go.
Once the blood starts to flow, he’ll be as unforgiving as he has been throughout his ONE Championship tenure.
The only thing the defending World Champion is concerned about is how his Brazilian foe will handle the aggression.
“With Felipe, I feel like you put it on him, he doesn't like it. He's going to crumble. And I’ll bring that style where I'm going to put it on you till the bell goes. I'm just wondering how he's going cope with my pressure and my strikes, stuff like that really,” Haggerty said.
“But yeah, he did great against Saemapetch. He came back from from a knockdown and showed great heart, great determination. So this will be a great fight. But he won't be getting back up after I hit him. That's the difference.”
