"I’m gonna come out in the first round and knock you out" - Jonathan Haggerty warns Mongkolpetch ahead of fight

Jonathan Haggerty will make his return to action when he faces Mongkolpetch at ONE: Bad Blood, which broadcasts live on Friday, February 11. The event seems appropriately named, as there’s a bit of bad blood brewing between Haggerty and his opponent.

In his latest vlog, ‘The General’ chronicles a day in his life while preparing for his upcoming match. He shared that he doesn’t appreciate his opponent looking down on him. He said:

“They’re telling me he wants to knock me out, body shot me, that he’s coming to kill my dreams of Rodtang. He’s gonna pay for it. He wants to talk about that then he’s just digging himself a bigger hole. He said he doesn’t respect [me], I mean, come on man, look what I’ve done. The grit and determination that I’ve put in fights. Not only have I fought Rodtang once, I got in there twice.”

The No.2-ranked Haggerty recently won the ISKA Muay Thai lightweight world title in November 2021. He will feature in just his third match since December 2020.

Meanwhile, Mongkolpetch has remained active in Thailand, competing four times last year. His run of form includes a win against Elias Mahmoudi at ONE: Full Blast in June last year.

Haggerty believes that his return could be a short match because of his opponent’s tendency to start slow. He added:

“He starts slow, and you can’t do that for me. You can’t do that in ONE [because it’s just] three rounds. He’s used to five rounds in Thailand. I’m gonna come out in the first round and knock you out. You can’t sit back with me because I’m gonna knock you out.”

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Jonathan Haggerty’s ONE Championship journey so far

Jonathan Haggerty made a splash in 2019 when he defeated Muay Thai legend Sam-A Gaiyanghadao for the ONE flyweight Muay Thai world title in just his second appearance in the promotion.

However, he dropped the world title a couple of months later to current titleholder Rodtang Jitmuangnon. The Brit failed in his bid to recapture gold in their rematch as well.

Jonathan Haggerty has since gotten back on the winning track by defeating Taiki Naito at ONE: Big Bang II in December 2020. The Englishman hopes that a win against another ranked opponent in Mongkolpetch will earn him another shot at Rodtang.

Meanwhile, the No. 4-ranked Mongkolpetch has not been beaten in his four appearances in ONE Championship. He will certainly be motivated to defeat the former world champion to solidify his place atop the division.