Jonathan Haggerty favors Rodtang against Savvas Michael, but says Cypriot fighter can win

Jonathan Haggerty sees his rival Rodtang Jitmuangnon advancing to the final of the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix. Yet, he believes Savvas Michael won’t be going down without a fight.

Rodtang and Michael will feature in the semifinals of the Muay Thai tournament at ONE on Prime Video 1: Moraes vs. Johnson II on August 26, US primetime. The event will be broadcast live on Prime Video from the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Haggerty, who’s had two blazing fights with Rodtang, said Savvas could pull off the victory in the three-round bout, but his money, interestingly, is still on the reigning ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Jonathan Haggerty said:

“It’s three rounds. The first fight I had with Rodtang, he didn’t hit me in the first three rounds, and I absolutely picked him apart, so I think Savvas has got a good chance for three rounds. It’s interesting. I think Rodtang will win but Savvas does have a chance.”

Haggerty, who once held the ONE flyweight Muay Thai world title, has built a rivalry with Rodtang since they first fought at ONE: Dawn of Heroes in August 2019. In the back-to-back matches he’s fought against Rodtang, ‘The General’ quickly built a massive familiarity with the Thai phenom.

If Michael decides to heed Haggerty’s advice, he might just score the upset win over Rodtang, but that is easier said than done.

Rodtang holds a perfect 11-0 record in his striking matches at ONE Championship, but Michael is no pushover. The Cypriot held world titles for the WBC and WMC Muay Thai, and he’s coming off a dominant unanimous decision win over Amir Naseri in the quarterfinals.

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Jonathan Haggerty gears up for his match against Amir Naseri

Jonathan Haggerty was supposed to be included in the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix, but the former world champion had to pull out due to medical concerns.

Back in top shape, Haggerty is now preparing for his upcoming match against Naseri at ONE on Prime Video 1: Moraes vs. Johnson II.

Haggerty and Naseri’s match is an alternate bout, with the winner entering the tournament as an official replacement if one of the current participants needs to drop out of the Grand Prix.

Ready for an explosive return, the 25-year-old showed flashes of what he might just do in the circle, posting training clips on his social media accounts.