Jonathan Haggerty respects Liam Harrison, but “will punch holes” in him in the ring

Newly-crowned ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Jonathan Haggerty believes enough in his ability to predict an easy win over fellow British star Liam Harrison.

‘The General’ claimed the belt this past weekend with an incredible knockout over Thai legend Nong-O Hama in the main event of ONE Fight Night 9. Following his monumental victory, potential challengers quickly made their intentions known to Haggerty. Among them was former world title challenger Harrison.

Prior to the match, ‘Hitman’ posted on his Instagram page that while he hopes Jonathan Haggerty can pull something out of the bag, he didn’t want to bet against Nong-O considering his dominant run in the promotion.

With Haggerty actually making the impossible happen, he was inevitably asked about his thoughts on facing his countryman from the United Kingdom. Speaking to Nic Atkin of the South China Morning Post following the match, the 26-year-old addressed the potential matchup with Liam Harrison.

Jonathan Haggerty said:

“I’ve got utmost respect for him, what he’s done for the sport in UK and Muay Thai. Nothing but respect. But once we get in the ring, respect goes out the window, and I will punch holes in you.”

Harrison is currently rehabilitating his injured leg as a result of his last match against Nong-O and is in no rush to challenge Haggerty. In fact, he’s hoping to shake off the ring rust with at least one match before taking on ‘The General’ for the world title.

With ONE Championship’s aggressive global expansion, it will not be surprising to see Haggerty and Harrison headline an event in the United Kingdom. For now, we will have to wait and see if they can stay on top of their games and make it happen.

Watch the full interview here: