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By now, everyone knows that Rodtang Jitmuangnon’s iron chin is the stuff legends are made of.
But as infallible as the Thai superstar seems to be, his former foe Jonathan Haggerty believes Joseph Lasiri can pull off the unthinkable and score a major upset at ONE on Prime Video 4: Abbasov vs. Lee.
On Friday (US primetime), the reigning ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion will look to retain his crown against the streaking challenger with double-champion aspirations.
The all-important match-up will air live on US primetime from the Singapore Indoor Stadium and will be available free of charge for Amazon Prime Video subscribers in North America.
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Haggerty, who will also be fighting on the same card against Vladimir Kuzmin, explained why fans and pundits should not count Lasiri out just yet.
‘The General’ stated in an interview with SCMP MMA:
“I mean he’s got as much a chance as Rodtang. With four-ounce gloves, anything can happen. One shot, one kill. It’s going to be interesting.”
In retrospect, Haggerty does have a point since Lasiri overcame massive odds en route to the strawweight Muay Thai throne.
‘The Hurricane’ rebounded from an awful 0-4 start to his ONE career and ravaged everyone in his path to secure a world title shot against Prajanchai PK.Saenchai.
Not many people gave him a chance in that fight, but Lasiri destroyed his favored Thai opponent and forced him to quit on the stool at the end of Round 3.
Rodtang Jitmuangnon, on the other hand, has made mincemeat of the opposition and racked up an unbeaten 11-0 record in striking-exclusive matches.
Two of those wins have come at Haggerty’s expense, so the Brit definitely knows what ‘The Iron Man’ is capable of.
Sure, Rodtang Jitmuangnon’s chin has held up for all these years, but Haggerty won’t be surprised if Lasiri somehow shocks the rest of the world and becomes the first fighter to take the Thai phenom out.
Jonathan Haggerty hopes Rodtang Jitmuangnon trained hard for Joseph Lasiri
ONE on Prime Video 4 marks a new beginning for Haggerty, who will be making his bantamweight Muay Thai debut.
However, the flyweight ranks will always be close to his heart since he once ruled the division after beating Lasiri in 2019. ‘The General’ has witnessed the Italian-Moroccan’s evolution as a fighter since their bout.
As far as the Brit sees it, Rodtang Jitmuangnon will lose his world title if he comes in underprepared against the history-seeking Lasiri.
Haggerty told SMCP MMA in the same interview:
“I hope Rodtang has been training hard. I hope he’s been training to his full potential, because I know Joseph Lasiri is going to bring the pace. It’s going to be a good fight. If Rodtang hasn’t been training, I feel like Lasiri will take it, shock the world.”
Watch Haggerty’s full interview below:
