"A lot of people had no belief in me" - Jonathan Haggerty admits it was satisfying to silence his critics in win over Nong-O

Fans and pundits alike were quick to dismiss Jonathan Haggerty's chances against the mighty Nong-O Hama when they got paired up at ONE Fight Night 9 last year.

After all, the Thai legend had decimated every opponent in his wake at the time and ruled the bantamweight Muay Thai ranks with an iron fist.

'The General' heard all the noise from the naysayers who claimed he was just going to be another victim on Nong-O's hit list.

As we know by now, Haggerty made all doubters eat their words by pulling off one of the biggest upsets in the history of the sport.

The now two-sport world champion recalled this career-defining victory in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel:

"Like I say, take risks and prosper. When it got announced, a lot of people had no belief in me, but it didn't matter. As long as me and my coaches have got belief and we were confident. That's all that mattered."

Watch the 'Retrospect with Jonathan Haggerty' episode, here:

Jonathan Haggerty didn't seek outside validation from people who didn't matter. Instead, he listened to those who have been with him throughout his journey and silenced his critics with an emphatic KO of Nong-O.

Rewatch that epic fight:

Jonathan Haggerty ready to beat 'one of the greatest' in Superlek

Haggerty hasn't missed a beat since that shocking KO over Nong-O, as he finished both Fabricio Andrade and Felipe Lobo in his next two title bouts.

Now, the British megastar seeks to notch perhaps the biggest victory of his career to date, by defending his bantamweight belt against Superlek Kiatmoo9.

This epic champion vs champion battle will go down at ONE 168: Denver on September 6 at the Ball Arena.

For Haggerty, it's an opportunity to cement his place among the all-time greats in 'The Art of Eight Limbs.' He told ONE:

"Superlek is one of the greatest fighters of this time, you know. It motivates me more to get up and train."