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The rise of reigning ONE bantamweight Muay Thai and kickboxing world champion ‘The General’ Jonathan Haggerty should be studied by future generations.
The 27-year-old came from two straight losses to Rodtang Jitmuangnon a few years ago to now moving up in weight and becoming a two-sport world champion.
What’s the secret? It’s all in Haggerty’s attitude, according to The General’s longtime coach, legendary Christian Knowles.
Knowles owns Knowlesy Academy with his brother Lyndon, a family-run gym in Edgware, England. They’ve produced world champions like Haggerty and promising stars such as Muay Thai kickboxer ‘Lethal’ Liam Nolan, among others.
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Speaking as a guest on the Wesley Gunman Graham YouTube podcast, Knowles had high praise for his prized ward.
He said:
“John’s big for a bantamweight already, only after having a few fights in that weight, he's strong. His favorite saying is ‘A happy fighter is a dangerous fighter.’”
Haggerty joined ONE Championship in 2019, quickly making a name for himself by taking out Thai legend Sam-A Gaiyanghadao to capture the ONE flyweight Muay Thai world title. Unfortunately, ‘The General’ succumbed to Rodtang in an absolute firefight, losing the belt in the process.
Following another defeat to Rodtang and persistent difficulty in making the flyweight limit, Haggerty decided to move to bantamweight, where he has since been wildly successful.
Christian Knowles on Jonathan Haggerty: “I’ve done my best to help him progress and get better”
Legendary trainer Christian Knowles already knew he had someone special walk through the gym doors when Jonathan Haggerty decided to train at Knowlesy Academy. But it’s his guidance that helped hone that raw talent and turn it into the two-sport monster Haggerty is today.
He said:
“That was it straight away. [Jonathan Heggerty] was special back then and then we just bonded. I’ve done my best to help him progress and get better.”
What’s next for ‘The General’? Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates on Jonathan Haggerty’s next fight.
