Jonathan Haggerty admits he rarely studies his opponents, even for big fights: “Not a lot, if I’m being honest”

Jonathan Haggerty did not become ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion by obsessing over his opponents.

In fact, for 'The General,' delegation is the name of the game. When it comes to planning, the former two-sport conqueror prefers to stay out of it and let his coaches do what they do best.

In a recent interview with Inside Fighting's Mike Owens, the bantamweight kickboxing king admitted he doesn't spend much time analyzing his rivals.

"Not a lot, if I'm being honest. Not a lot. I trust my coach. It's worked well. When I start watching my opponent, I start worrying about what he's gonna do and forget about what I can do."

Watch the full interview below:

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"A great opponent" - Jonathan Haggerty honored to have Wei Rui as his first kickboxing world title challenger

The stacked ONE 171: Qatar card features many big names in the promotion, but Jonathan Haggerty will be headlining the event with his first kickboxing world title defense against challenger Wei Rui.

The Chinese striking ace is riding an insane 21-fight win streak, including former ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion Hiroki Akimoto.

Jonathan Haggerty, the reigning bantamweight kickboxing king, knows he has a real challenge in front of him, and he said as much:

"He's obviously a great, worthy opponent. He's the number one in the division for a reason. He beat [Hiroki] Akimoto, close fight, very close fight. Obviously, my coach has been paying close attention to the fights he's had. We've been going through a great game plan and, obviously, we know he's a southpaw."

Despite the respect, Jonathan Haggerty remains confident.

After all, this is the man who knocked out Fabricio Andrade to claim the kickboxing world title. He butted heads with the best and won, and he's ready to remind the world why he's still on top.

Watch it all go down at ONE 171: Qatar, live at the Lusail Sports Arena next Thursday, Feb. 20. Fans from other parts of the world can also catch the action on watch.onefc.com.