“I’m smiling” - Jonathan Haggerty loving his move to bantamweight, says he’s much "stronger and fitter"

Jonathan Haggerty is already feeling the positive effects of moving up a weight class and he can’t wait to show it to the rest of the world at ONE on Prime Video 4: Abbasov vs. Lee.

‘The General’ will be looking to shake things up the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai ranks, as he takes on Russia’s Vladimir Kuzmin in his divisional debut.

North Americans will be delighted to watch Haggerty’s striking mastery this Friday, November 18, inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium. The card will be broadcast live on US Primetime free of charge for Amazon Video Subscribers.

Haggerty, who previously held the Muay Thai world title at 135 pounds, went 4-2 in the division. His only losses came at the hands of reigning world titleholder Rodtang Jitmuangnon.

While the British slugger is still considered one of the top dogs in the division, he wants to open a new chapter of his career and strike gold anew against bigger competition.

To keep up with his new opponents, the 25-year-old has already adopted a different approach to his diet and training methods.

Now that he’ll be fighting closer to his walking weight, Haggerty is enjoying the perks that come with it. Among them are the more flexible eating patterns, and of course, the added power that comes with the additional bulk.

In a recent interview, 'The General' told Tom Taylor of the South China Morning Post:

“You know, normally, training-wise now, it gets hard. I get fatigued because I was weight cutting. But now that I've moved up in weight, I’m enjoying it. I’m smiling. I’m eating. And most of all, I’m stronger and I’m fitter.”

Watch the full interview below:

While moving up a weight class certainly has its advantages, it can be a double-edged sword for some. There’s always a risk of sacrificing speed for strength.

However, it looks like Haggerty is enjoying the process and it remains to be seen whether his fight-ending power will get even more amplified at bantamweight.

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Jonathan Haggerty is enjoying steak dinners ahead of his bantamweight debut

Food and nutrition, of course, are vital parts of a professional fighter’s life. It’s considered fuel and allows them to be in peak condition for the gruesome training they often endure.

Jonathan Haggerty, for one, used to be really strict with his calorie consumption in a bid to stay lean and make it easy for him to reach the flyweight division’s 135-pound limit.

Now at bantamweight, he can come a bit heavier than usual and enjoy some good old steak dinners to feed his soul.

'The General' discussed this at length in an interview with ONE Championship:

“Training camp has been the same really, but obviously I've been adding some more strength and conditioning. And the main thing is I've been eating more. You know, I've been eating steak at night. I can't believe I'm eating steak at eight o'clock at night. Normally, it would just be like fish, but I haven't touched one bit of fish! Normally that was my go-to for 61kg, like loads of fish, you know. And now it's just chicken noodle. I'm excited.”