Relive the show of respect between Jonathan Haggerty and Taiki Naito

Former ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Jonathan Haggerty is heading for perhaps the biggest challenge of his career at ONE Fight Night 9 this weekend. On April 21, 'The General' will challenge ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Nong-O Hama for the belt.

Ahead of Haggerty's world title bout with the Thai legend, ONE posted his memorable bout with Japan's Taiki Naito back in 2020. Aside from the absolute firefight that transpired between the two warriors, most remember the bout for the sportsmanship displayed.

Coming into the bout, the fighting Brit was looking to bounce back from his back-to-back losses to the man who took away his world title, reigning ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champ Rodtang Jitmuangnon. Naito was riding a 4-fight winning streak and was on the cusp of a world title shot himself.

The two world-class strikers met each other in the center of the Circle and threw bombs at each other. At certain points when one would slip and hit the floor, the other would respectfully hold back and let the other get up.

Jonathan Haggerty, with his ferocious combinations and concussive power, eventually took the fight after knocking Naito down twice. He then won three more bouts later, eventually earning him a shot at gold once again.

Watch the full fight highlights here:

It's been a long road for 'The General' in his quest to wear gold again. It's been a much longer journey for him as a life-long martial artist, too. Growing up in Orpington, England, the 26-year-old striker started training at a young age and has been quite consistent with his greatness ever since.

Ahead of his massive bout this weekend, Jonathan Haggerty reminisced on his 14-year journey and posted about it on his Instagram:

"14 years apart. Hard work, dedication & Consistency. @lamaimuaythai #AndTheNew"

At ONE Fight Night 9, in front of a hostile crowd at the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Jonathan Haggerty will look to shock the world by ending Nong-O's dominant reign as world champion. Fans in North America can watch all the action and drama unfold live and for free via Prime Video.