Mongkolpetch Petchyindee has heard Jonathan Haggerty’s bold claims of a knockout, but he’s having none of it.
The two warriors square off tonight at ONE: Bad Blood, with both exuding confidence in their ability to claim a convincing victory over the other.
During their faceoff interview, ‘The General’ predicted a second-round knockout of his opponent. However, the Muay Thai veteran was quick to shoot down his claims, saying:
“I think it's hard to KO me because for me, from my experience in the past, I fought with so many more fighters. And also don't look down on other fighters, everyone is here to win. And for me, personally, my goal here is to fight, give my all, and come here to win as well.”
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The Petchyindee Academy standout has good reason to back his claim as his 150 Muay Thai matches easily dwarfs Haggerty’s kickboxing record of 22. However, the 24-year-old Englishman reminded his opponent that they will be wearing four-ounce gloves, instead of the usual 12-14-ounce used in Muay Thai, which could add to his knockout capability.
The Thai warrior quickly clapped back by saying:
“I also have that glove on. I want to tell you I also have the power in my hands.”
Mongkolpetch picks Rodtang over Demetrious Johnson
As the world awaits the special rules fight between Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Demetrious Johnson, Mongkolpetch has a clear winner in mind.
“I think it's Rodtang because Rodtang, he's got heavy strikes.”
While the match will feature both Muay Thai and MMA rules in alternating rounds, the first round will be under the former, which easily favors Rodtang.
The match will be the first of its kind and could pave the way for future crossover bouts as well. Regardless, Mongkolpetch is not interested in stepping over to the MMA side of things:
“I personally never trained in the Mixed Martial Arts rules. For me, I want to keep my focus on this fight and if I win in this fight, I want to fight Rodtang next in this rule.”
Claiming a victory over Haggerty will undoubtedly bring him a step closer to his goal of challenging Rodtang in Muay Thai. The chance to earn a fight against one of the most decorated Kickboxers in the history of the sport (Rodtang) will definitely be a huge motivation as he prepares for war tonight.