“It’s normal” – Felipe Lobo says Jonathan Haggerty’s confidence is well-earned

Felipe Lobo isn’t one to typically participate in mind games and pre-fight banter, but the Brazilian seems alright to take shots fired his way from reigning two-sport king Jonathan Haggerty before they throw down at ONE Fight Night 19.

The No.3-ranked contender steps up to challenge for ‘The General’s’ bantamweight Muay Thai crown in the main event of the February 16 bill, set to go down at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Haggerty has been vying for a chance to fight against ‘Demolition Man’ since the pair kicked off 2023 on a winning note at ONE Fight Night 9.

The 30-year-old bagged an inspiring come-from-behind win over Saemapetch Fairtex while the Londoner picked up his first of two world titles – the Muay Thai gold – with a first-round knockout of living legend Nong-O Hama.

Haggerty’s eagerness to fight Lobo only grew after he scooped the vacant bantamweight kickboxing strap this past November, during which he shared a heated in-ring altercation with the latter after taking out his teammate, Fabricio Andrade.

‘The General’ has been vocal about his chances heading into their main event showpiece this week, and given his status as a two-division kingpin, Felipe Lobo perfectly understands why he needs to bring that aura of confidence.

Speaking to The AllStar, the Sao Paulo native said:

“I think it is normal for Haggerty to be confident, you know, in this case, because he has fought a lot of big names as well. Me too, I’ve fought a lot of big guys in there, and you become more confident, you know.”

Watch the full interview here:

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Felipe Lobo addresses Jonathan Haggerty’s biggest weakness ahead of ONE Fight Night 19

While Haggerty has gone to town with his belief of walking out of ONE Fight Night 19 as a two-sport ONE world champion, Felipe Lobo knows his hard-hitting style is something that can power him to a monumental win over the London native.

Without mincing any words, the Brazilian martial artist plans to exploit Haggerty’s weakness from the sound of the bell inside the Mecca of Muay Thai.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Felipe Lobo offered:

“His weak point is that he can’t take many hits. He’s very good at hitting, but when it comes to defending himself, protecting himself, he’s not so good.”

North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription can catch the entire card live and for free in U.S. primetime on February 16.