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Jonathan Haggerty has a simple solution to get back on track and remind everyone why he's the planet's best striker come ONE 171: Qatar.
Next Thursday, Feb. 20, in the main event of the card inside the Lusail Sports Arena, the Englishman's ONE bantamweight kickboxing world title will be on the line against Chinese kickboxer 'Demon Blade' Wei Rui.
It is anything but an easy task for 'The General'.
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Wei's world-class striking arsenal allowed him to conquer the K-1 realm on multiple occasions, and he's fired up to add to his promotional debut, where he overcame former kingpin Hiroki Akimoto by unanimous decision.
Jonathan Haggerty knows what's at stake and the level of dexterity the challenger brings to the table, though.
In an interview with Inside Fighting, the Knowlesy Academy and Team Underground star stacked praise on 'Demon Blade's style but believes he'll ultimately edge him based on his determination and eagerness to get back to winning ways.
The 27-year-old shared:
"I believe I'm one of the toughest and hardest fighters out there. I'm one of the best. So come ONE 171, you'll see why I'm right up there. Like I said, put on a show, get the win, and defend my gold."
Watch the full interview here:
Haggerty heads into ONE 171: Qatar off a stunning knockout loss to 'The Kicking Machine' Superlek Kiatmoo9 at ONE 168: Denver. The 49-second knockout helped the Thai dethrone the Brit from the bantamweight Muay Thai throne.
Jonathan Haggerty admits he's had no issues switching to a kickboxing-heavy style
Though his bread and butter is Muay Thai, Jonathan Haggerty admits he's had no issues keeping his signature elbows away throughout fight camp for his upcoming kickboxing world title defense.
In the same interview, 'The General' added:
"I'm pretty good at that [changing from a Muay Thai game to kickboxing] to be fair, you know. I was a bit worried for the first kickboxing fight just in case something did happen, like I was catching the kicks or I was gonna throw a quick elbow."
The promotion's hotly anticipated return to the Middle East for it's second on-ground spectacle in Qatar, ONE 171, will broadcast live at watch.onefc.com.
