Jonathan Haggerty hard at work in the gym to prepare for world title showdown with Nong-O Hama

Jonathan Haggerty | Image courtesy of ONE

Who can throw thirty rapid-fire roundhouse kicks in a row like it's nothing? Jonathan Haggerty can. We know the nickname 'Kicking Machine' already belongs to ONE flyweight kickboxing king Superlek Kiatmoo9, but perhaps it can be given to the former ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion too.

In a short training video uploaded to Instagram by Johnathan Haggerty, you'll easily see why he might deserve that monicker as well. The rhythm, technique, and speed of those kicks were on point:

"All the hard work and early mornings will pay off. 38days #AndTheNew @onechampionship 🇬🇧"

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In a sport that's pretty much centered on kicking, being able to do so out of pure instinct is a must. This is why world-class kickboxers like Jonathan Haggerty practice kicking so much every day. They need it to be as normal to them as breathing. Once their weapon becomes instinctive and part of their muscle memory, it is easier to use it when it matters most.

He's going to need his kicks and more once he squares off with ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Nong-O Hama at ONE Fight Night 9.

Jonathan Haggerty hardens his core in preparation for Nong-O Hama

On April 21, Jonathan Haggerty will attempt to win a second world title by moving up to bantamweight to challenge the division's long-time world champ, Nong-O Hama.

In preparation for this monumental task, Haggerty isn't just training his offensive and defensive techniques, he's also improving his physical attributes. Particularly his endurance when it comes to body shots.

To toughen his core muscles, Haggerty went old school with traditional hardening exercises. 'The General' willingly absorbs high-impact blows to his abdomen to increase its endurance.

In a video released by ONE Championship, we saw the fighting Englishman have his trainer hit him with a medicine ball to the gut. It doesn't look pleasant to say the least.

"Got guts? Jonathan Haggerty challenges ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nong-O Hama on April 21 at ONE Fight Night 9 on Prime Video! 👊 @jhaggerty_"

This will come in handy as Haggerty was last finished via body shots courtesy of ONE flyweight Muay Thai king Rodtang Jitmuangnon. 'The General' should fortify his mid-section as Nong-O will definitely target it.

ONE Fight Night 9 will air live and for free to all Prime Video subscribers in North America.

About the author

Duane is an expert MMA writer at Sportskeeda with over 10 years of experience working for the likes of Philippine Star, Esquire Philippines, Playboy Philippines, etc. A major in English, he has written over 2000 articles for Sportskeeda section, extensively covering UFC and boxing fights.

Duane is a practicing MMA fighter with a 10-7 record. He is also a Brazilian jiu-jitsu purple belt and trains Muay Thai. His connection with MMA dates back to 2005, when he turned into a fan after watching Fedor Emelianenko defeat Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipovic at Pride FC - Final Conflict 2005.

Emelianenko finds himself right at the top of Duane’s Mt. Rushmore of MMA fighters, alongside other big names like Demetrious Johnson, Jon Jones, Georges St-Pierre, and Anderson Silva.

Duane’s love for the sport is reflected in his writings, where he believes in speculating but not insinuating. He uses his intensive knowledge and skills in MMA to provide unique insights to the readers, along with sourcing information only from reliable sources.

Outside of work, Duane enjoys martial arts training, visual arts, film criticism, video games, and creative writing.

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Edited by Dave