3 things we learned from ONE Fight Night 9

ONE Fight Night 9: Nong-O vs. Haggerty on Prime Video took us all on a rollercoaster of emotions inside Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok this past weekend.

The nine-fight card had everything you could ever ask for in a martial arts event.

Jhanlo Mark Sangiao set the tone with his ferocious finish in the first fight, and Jonathan Haggerty capped it off in style by becoming a two-division world champion in the main event.

With ONE Fight Night 9 now in the books, we’re all looking forward to the even bigger ONE Fight Night 10 taking place in Colorado on May 5. As always, Prime Video subscribers in North America can catch all the action live and for free.

But before we all witness history, here are our biggest realizations after ONE Championship’s fourth Amazon card of the year.

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#3. Denice Zamboanga is the darkhorse contender at women’s atomweight

Setbacks are a setup for a comeback, which is something that Denice Zamboanga holds dear in her heart.

After dropping back-to-back fights to the sensational Ham Seo Hee, ‘The Menace’ has now recorded two consecutive wins.

Zamboanga outclassed Lin Heqin last December and carried that momentum last Friday, where she dominated Julie Mezabarba in every facet.

The 26-year-old Filipina, who’s becoming a more complete martial artist with each passing fight, tagged the Brazilian countless times on the feet with her smashing right hand.

Mezabarba did her best to turn the tide on the ground and in the clinch, but she also found herself overpowered in those areas.

Truth be told, the RD Champions affiliate did showcase massive improvements in her own game. However, she was simply no match against Zamboanga, who was hell-bent on keeping her place in the stacked women’s atomweight rankings.

With a possible interim world title bout taking place in the coming months, Zamboanga wants to keep on piling the victories to earn her first-ever world title shot.

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#2. No one is untouchable in the fight game

We saw the end of the Nong-O dynasty at ONE Fight Night 9. The once indestructible force of nature was violently knocked out in one round by new ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Jonathan Haggerty.

It truly was one of the biggest upsets not just in Muay Thai, but in combat sports history.

‘The General’s credentials, of course, are quite impressive, considering he previously lorded over the flyweight Muay Thai division. But prior to this matchup, Nong-O was considered on a whole different pedestal, looking inhuman at times throughout his 10-fight unbeaten streak.

The legendary Thai fighter was even included in the pound-for-pound best conversation, especially after knocking out his last five challengers in brutal fashion.

Haggerty sent him back down to Earth with two vicious knockdowns and finished the job with a frightening barrage.

Despite the loss, Nong-O’s legacy has already been carved in stone. Still, this shocking defeat is just further proof that anything can happen in this unforgiving fight game.

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#1. Jonathan Haggerty is a monster at bantamweight

After ONE Fight Night 9, it’s safe to say that Jonathan Haggerty found a home at bantamweight, where he should have been fighting all along.

The 26-year-old stud has grown into his frame over the last couple of years, and it appears that his body has already adjusted perfectly with the extra muscle. Strength, after all, is crucial when going up against a powerhouse like Nong-O, who often bullied his opponents inside the ring.

While the English fighter’s strikes packed more vigor than usual, it was apparent that he also kept his signature speed and precision. The case can be made that Haggerty appeared even faster and sharper than he’s ever looked when he decimated the Thai hero inside “The House that Nong-O Built.”

While we’ll always have fond memories of Jonathan Haggerty at 135 pounds, it’s evident that bantamweight is where he truly belongs.