"I'd hope he forgot about training" - Jonathan Haggerty says he tried his best to dodge training as a kid

Jonathan Haggerty is currently reaping the rewards for the dedication that he has shown throughout his career.

By staying the course and focusing on being the best striker he can possibly be, 'The General' has achieved incredible success in ONE Championship.

The current ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion is also a former two-time Muay Thai champion in ONE.

However, though he would eventually decide to focus on this path in life, having love and total commitment to his craft wasn't always who he was.

Haggerty started striking at a young age and at that point in your life, there are a lot of things you'd rather be doing than going to the gym every single day, especially when the other kids around you aren't doing the same.

Haggerty spoke about this during a recent appearance on the Winners Talking Podcast where he told the story about how his dad would never let him miss a session:

"So I was training every day. It was a tough one for me cus I had to train every day after school. You know, my dad will be waiting outside the school gates, and every time I see his car, I'd be like 'Nah', I'd hope he forgot about training but he'd be outside waiting for me so I'll train every day maybe once a day at that age. Yeah, and just carried on from there."

Watch the full podcast interview below:

---

Spending time at gym has benefited Jonathan Haggerty

One of the biggest hurdles that Jonathan Haggerty has faced in his career is the experience difference between him and the elite Thai strikers that surround him.

Though he can't match them for time in the ring, spending every day at the gym from a young age has been invaluable for the Brit who is now one of the top strikers in his weight class.

At the time, he looked to avoid training, however, if he was now in his dad's shoes, he would probably do the same and encourage his children to stick at it because it pays off in the long run.