"I think he's an easy opponent" - Jonathan Haggerty is confident heading into battle against Mongkolpetch

Jonathan Haggerty will make his return to the Circle at ONE: Bad Blood when he takes on Muay Thai veteran Mongkolpetch.

The former ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion is eager to reclaim lost gold by getting a third shot at current titleholder Rodtang. Overcoming another ranked contender in Mongkolpetch could be a huge step in the right direction toward this goal.

The Thai warrior has amassed over 100 wins in his professional career and remains undefeated through four fights on the global stage of ONE Championship, where he is currently the No. 4-ranked fighter of the division.

However, Jonathan Haggerty revealed in a recent interview that he’s not too impressed by his opponent’s accolades. Instead, he focuses on his style of fighting:

“I’m going to be totally honest. I don’t want to shoot myself in the foot, but I think he’s an easy opponent. I just think that with his style, he isn’t going to be able to deal with what I’m going to bring. I think he’s a slow starter. He’s used to the [Bangkok] stadiums. He can’t change his strategy just for me because, if he does, he is not going to be used to it and it’s not a very good idea.”

‘The General’ shared that his confidence is also based on his observations on Mongkolpetch’s last outing, saying:

“When he [beat] Elias Mahmoudi, Mahmoudi has got the sort of style where he’s not accurate with what he throws, but he throws a lot. And he missed Mongkolpetch a lot of times. I won’t be missing Mongkolpetch and giving those shots away. So I think his style suits me.”

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Jonathan Haggerty believes ONE Super Series rules favor his style better

Jonathan Haggerty acknowledges that Mongkolpetch has weapons that may hurt him, but asserts that it’s too limited to stop him.

“I’ve got to avoid his clinch, his low kick and his right hand and I think that’s all he’s really got. He’s got one shot. He doesn’t throw combos. He just throws one shot and hopes.”

Traditionally, Muay Thai fighters deal damage with their knees in the clinch. However, ONE Super Series rules force fighters to break from the clinch a bit quicker to allow more striking action, which Haggerty believes could be detrimental to Mongkolpetch’s usual game planning:

“I think he’s coming to ruin the fight. He’s not going to stand and fight. I think he’s got a strategy to hit and grab. He’s a clinch fighter, but he’s quite messy. I don’t think ONE Super Series really allow the clinch to go on too long. As long as he doesn’t get my lower back, then I should be fine, the ref will break it and I’ll stay on the outside again.”

Tune into ONE: Bad Blood to watch the action unfold.