ONE bantamweight Muay Thai and kickboxing world champion Jonathan Haggerty made good on his superstar potential when he challenged Sam-A Gaiyanghadao for the ONE flyweight Muay Thai world championship in May 2019.
Haggerty's ability to utilize his footwork and reach advantage had him controlling the pace of the fight early on as the Thai legend fought hard to stay in step with his British opponent.
Though Sam-A mounted a hearty comeback in the later rounds, Haggerty did not stop in his assault and eventually claimed his first-ever ONE world championship via unanimous decision.
Rewatch their action-packed war below, as posted by ONE on YouTube:
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This performance cemented Haggerty as a must-watch fighter in ONE, and he later had two all-time classics against Rodtang Jitmuangnon over the ONE flyweight Muay Thai world championship.
Haggerty eventually moved up to bantamweight, where he has since ruled over the 145-pound Muay Thai and kickboxing divisions.
Jonathan Haggerty hints at gameplan for upcoming megafight
Jonathan Haggerty is set to defend the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world championship against flyweight kickboxing king Superlek Kiatmoo9 in the main event of ONE 168: Denver on September 6 inside the Ball Arena.
Despite Superlek being undefeated in his last 10 fights, the 27-year-old is confident that he will retain the bantamweight Muay Thai crown at ONE 168.
During an interview with the Sky Sports MMA Club podcast, Haggerty said:
"I'm bigger than him, I'm in one weight category above him, and he's stepping into my weight category, and not giving too much away, I'm just gonna put that power and pressure on him. I'm not sure he's gonna enjoy it."
Tickets for ONE 168 are available via Ticketmaster.