“I wasn’t like every other kid” - Freddie Haggerty recalls how he’s always been a maverick compared to his peers

Choosing martial arts as a passion in a soccer-loving country is always a unique choice, but Freddie Haggerty knew he was always a maverick when he was growing up.

That path ultimately led Haggerty to the big show and he's now set to face Jordan Estupinan in a pivotal flyweight Muay Thai bout at the stacked ONE 170 card on Jan. 24 at Impact Arena.

In an interview with the Goated Combat podcast, Haggerty said he immediately went straight home and then to his father's gym while his friends and classmates ran to the soccer pitch.

Haggerty, the younger brother of ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion Jonathan Haggerty, added he always marched to the beat of his drum and would have never traded his martial arts life for soccer.

"So, growing up, I was in the gym. I wasn’t like every other kid. So after primary school, I'd make my way home, well make my way to the gym, while my friends would make their way to the football pitch," said Freddie Haggerty.

The younger Haggerty brother made an instant impression when he racked up three straight wins under the ONE Championship banner in 2024. Haggerty is a perfect 3-0 in the promotion, with all three of his victories coming via knockout.

After knocking out Dankalong Sor Dechapan, Haggerty collected two more souls when he sent Kaichon Sor Yingcharoenkarnchang and Kaoklai Chor Hapayak to the shadow realm.

Haggerty now welcomes Estupinan, the twin brother of Johan Estupinan, into the ONE Championship fold and what it's like to compete on the world's biggest stage of martial arts.

Watch Haggerty's entire interview below:

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Freddie Haggerty talks of the influence his older brother Jonathan had over him

It's natural for boys to emulate what their older brothers are doing, and the Haggerty brothers are no different. Jonathan made a name as one of the best, if not the greatest, British Muay Thai fighters of this generation.

Freddie saw that and he knew immediately that he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his older brother.

In the same interview with the Goated Combat podcast, Freddie Haggerty said:

"I sort of ... as a younger brother, you wanna be like your older brother. It's just natural as a young kid. So I just followed in his footsteps."