“He went for greatness” - Jonathan Haggerty praises Fabricio Andrade for chasing two-sport glory against him

It was no secret that bad blood brewed between Jonathan Haggerty and Fabricio in the lead-up to their super fight at ONE Fight Night 16, yet there was also a great deal of respect between the two when the final bell sounded.

Haggerty upended Andrade in the card’s main event this past weekend and became ONE Championship’s latest two-sport world champion.

The reigning ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion claimed the vacant ONE bantamweight kickboxing world title when he knocked out Andrade in the second round at the historic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.

In his post-fight press conference, Haggerty said the ONE bantamweight MMA world champion should get all the respect he deserves for trying to claim a second world title.

Haggerty said:

“He went for greatness, he tried for greatness, and you can’t knock him for that.”

Andrade is one of the best strikers in ONE Championship’s stacked mixed martial arts roster, but Haggerty just operated on a different playing field during their highly anticipated matchup.

‘The General’ is one of the best pure strikers on the planet, and he came into his fight against Andrade with unrivaled momentum.

Haggerty was riding a four-fight winning streak that culminated in one of the greatest upsets in Muay Thai history.

The former ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion was in his second fight in a heavier weight when he challenged the legendary Nong-O Hama for the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title.

Practically everyone dismissed Haggerty’s chances, but the British striker did the unthinkable when he knocked out Nong-O in the fight’s opening round at ONE Fight Night 9.

As for Andrade, he’s still one of the most dangerous fighters on the planet, and his next fight could see him defend the ONE bantamweight MMA world title.

Watch Haggerty's entire interview below: