“I chose to get punched in the face for a living” - Jonathan Haggerty once contemplated a career between Muay Thai and football

Reigning and undisputed ONE bantamweight Muay Thai and kickboxing world champion 'The General' Jonathan Haggerty of the United Kingdom doesn't want to brag. But he says he could have been a professional footballer at one point.

The 27-year-old English superstar says that when he was younger, he had to choose between fighting and the field. And he chose the former.

Speaking to Sky Sports MMA Club in a recent guest appearance, Haggerty said he was 'quite good' at football despite deciding eventually to become a fighter.

'The General' stated:

"Not to be too big about it, but I think I was quite good. I was left-footed. I was at Charlon, Fulham, etc, during a young age and funny enough, I had to choose between fighting and football. But, I don’t know why, I chose fighting. I chose to get punched in the face for a living. So yeah. But, you know, I still enjoy football. To this day, I still go out and play a little bit of football in my downtime. Just have a kickabout and stuff."

Today, Haggerty is a two-sport world champion in the world's largest martial arts organization. He is one of the most exciting fighters in all of combat sports. Needless to say, he made the right decision.

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'The General' Jonathan Haggerty to defend bantamweight Muay Thai gold against 'The Kicking Machine' Superlek Kiatmoo9 at ONE 168: Denver

27-year-old English firecracker 'The General' Jonathan Haggerty is set to defend his ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title against flyweight kickboxing king 'The Kicking Machine' Superlek Kiatmoo9.

The two lock horns at ONE 168: Denver, which broadcasts live from the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado on Friday, September 6th.

Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live and absolutely free on Amazon Prime Video.