“It's great to be on top” – Jonathan Haggerty glad to shake off the underdog tag after achieving two-sport supremacy

Dual world champion ‘The General’ Jonathan Haggerty says he’s finally glad to shake off the underdog tag after achieving double champ status.

The UK superstar has overcome the odds more than he can count. Now, it certainly feels great to cruise around as a favorite for his upcoming fight.

Taking pre-fight media questions for ONE Fight Night 19, ‘The General’ asked if he still embraced being overlooked as the favorite or preferred to be called the kingpin of Muay Thai.

Haggerty told Sportskeeda MMA:

“It’s both [I love being the underdog or being on top as a world champion]. I didn't mind being the underdog and I don't mind being on top. It's great to be on top so we'll take being on top best.”

Watch the clip from 3:25 onwards:

Jonathan Haggerty has become increasingly impossible to stop since he defeated long-reigning ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Nong-O Hama for the divisional crown last April.

Perhaps the victory was the direct result of being called the underdog, which certainly motivated the 26-year-old star to work his hardest after being doubted for so long.

Overcoming one adversity after the other, fans are now finally convinced that he’s the real deal. Therefore, there’s no shortage of interest to see him overcome his next battle with success against No.3 bantamweight Muay Thai contender Felipe Lobo this Friday at ONE Fight Night 19.

ONE Fight Night 19 will air live on US Primetime on February 16, free of charge for existing Prime Video subscribers in North America.

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“It only takes one shot to turn your lights out” - Jonathan Haggerty says anything can happen in 4-ounce gloves

Since ONE Championship approved 4oz MMA gloves in Muay Thai, there’s a higher chance of witnessing a knockout in the sport - a beneficial rule for all prolific finishers like Jonathan Haggerty.

The young Brit is excited to put his boxing to work when he faces Felipe Lobo at the famed Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok. Haggerty believes the smaller gloves won’t prevent Lobo from absorbing his best punches, no matter how prepared the Brazilian is.

Ahead of his first world title defense, Haggerty believes he’s got the higher ground with his superior Muay Thai boxing skills against Lobo.

“In this game it’s 4oz gloves and it only takes one shot to turn your lights out,” he told SCMP MMA. “As long as we are 100 percent on the night and we are switched on, which we always are, it’s no problem.”