"Get up and fight on" - Jonathan Haggerty credits late uncle for helping him overcome Felipe Lobo

ONE bantamweight kickboxing and former 145-pound Muay Thai world champion Jonathan Haggerty faced great adversity when he got dropped by Felipe Lobo late in the first round during their clash over the Muay Thai crown at ONE Fight Night 19 in February.

Unfazed, 'The General' dug deep to even the knockdown count at one apiece midway through the second frame before ultimately putting the challenger away with a meteoric right cross early in the third round.

In a recent interview with ONE, 'The General' attributed the come-from-behind win to his late uncle, stating:

"I learned a lot from the Lobo fight. Getting back off the ropes after getting knocked down in round one, I knew I'd come back and get the victory. My uncle had passed away a few weeks prior, but I felt his presence. Like Rocky hearing Mickey, I heard my uncle telling me to get up and fight on and get to work."

Haggerty aimed to repeat the feat when he crossed paths with ONE flyweight kickboxing king Superlek Kiatmoo9 at ONE 168: Denver on Sept. 6 inside the Ball Arena.

However, 'The Kicking Machine' took the bantamweight Muay Thai world championship from Haggerty in just 49 seconds thanks to a well-placed elbow to his face.

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Jonathan Haggerty to defend kickboxing crown versus Wei Rui in Qatar

Jonathan Haggerty's next assignment will be to defend the bantamweight kickboxing crown against Wei Rui in ONE's return to Qatar at ONE 171 on Feb. 20, 2025.

'Demon Blade' is a formidable first challenger for the 27-year-old striking sensation because of how easily he defeated former 145-pound kickboxing king Hiroki Akimoto in his promotional debut this past May.

A dominant victory against Wei inside the Lusail Sports Arena in Lusail, Qatar, will surely cement Haggerty's hopes of rematching Superlek for the bantamweight Muay Thai crown in the near future.