Nong-O Hama excited to face "young" Jonathan Haggerty

Nong-O Hama said he’s thrilled to cross paths with a "young" Jonathan Haggerty at ONE Fight Night 9 on Prime Video.

The long-reigning divisional king is set to defend his bantamweight strap against a new rising contender in ‘The General’ Jonathan Haggerty on April 21 in Bangkok. For Nong-O Hama, it’s just another day at the office, but for Haggerty, it’s another high-stakes venture.

As a man of action rather than words, the Thai superstar shared only one thought about his future rival and what he could potentially bring to the table. He told ONE:

“He’s young [laughs] and he’s strong. So, I’ll need to be ready.”

Although the stacks might be vastly against Haggerty, Nong-O Hama knows better than to underestimate his opponent. The UK superstar was a former ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion back in 2019, beating a dominant two-sport striker in Sam-A Gaiyanghadao by unanimous decision.

The divisional king, however, is built differently. The Thai warrior is a high-level Muay Thai fighter with Lumpinee championship experience. At 36 years of age, the world champion has not only won 8 straight fights in a row in two different sports, but he’s also completely exposed every fighter’s weaknesses with tact and precision. Haggerty has a tough road ahead of him but has a chance like any other to beat the odds.

ONE Fight Night 9 will be broadcast live and for free to American audiences via Amazon Prime Video

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Watch Nong-O Hama practicing his leg kicks with Jonathan Haggerty in mind

Legendary Thai striker Nong-O Hama is currently in training mode as he prepares for a world title showdown with Jonathan Haggerty.

The Pattaya-bred native is coming off a triumphant TKO win over Alaverdi Ramazanov this past January. Therefore, he wants to keep the momentum going by perfecting his craft. Going into his next world title defense, the Thai-bred athlete knows Haggerty has a different set of unique skills that he needs to be diligent about.

For one, Haggerty loves to push the pace with fast lateral movements and punching combinations. To slow his adversaries down, the divisional king is making sure his leg kicks are conditioned in advance.

Check out his training below: