“A big motivation for me” - Wei Rui aiming to earn “another breakthrough” for his country with world title win

Bantamweight kickboxing standout Wei Rui is on a mission for his homeland, and the Chinese striker is mere hours out from the biggest fight of his storied career at ONE Championship. ONE 171: Qatar is set to take place at the Lusail Sports Arena at 10 AM ET this Thursday, where he will be challenging reigning ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion 'The General' Jonathan Haggerty.

This is a momentous occasion for both Haggerty, who will be defending kickboxing gold for the first time, and Wei, who has his sights set on more than just another win.

In an exclusive pre-fight interview with ONE Championship, Wei said:

"If I win the ONE Championship belt, I believe this is another breakthrough in the history of Chinese men's stand-up fighting, so this belt is a big motivation for me."

This isn't just about personal achievement for the kickboxing star. Instead, it's about making history and bringing Chinese striking into the map of international combat sports.

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"I'll take down Haggerty" - Wei Rui confident he can unseat 'The General' from the bantamweight kickboxing throne at ONE 171

'Demon Blade' Wei Rui came to ONE Championship with a goal in mind: to take over and bring home the gold. Wei is more than willing to bulldoze over whoever stands in his way - and right now, that person is Jonathan Haggerty.

"When I joined ONE Championship, my goal was to fight for the belt, no matter who the opponent is," Wei said. "It's currently Haggerty. I'll take down Haggerty first. No matter who holds the belt in the future, I've come to ONE Championship to get the belt."

Haggerty has built a reputation as one of the most dangerous fighters in the bantamweight division, but Wei isn't fazed. With a 21-fight win streak and momentum on his side, he believes that fate in on his side.

Wei Rui and Jonathan Haggerty are set to collide at the main event card of ONE 171: Qatar. Catch the action at watch.onefc.com.