“The work has been done” - Jonathan Haggerty shifts his focus to ONE 171 fight week ahead of title defense against Wei Rui

Jonathan Haggerty has officially wrapped up the training camp for his next challenge.

“The General” is set to defend his ONE bantamweight kickboxing world championship against Chinese striking sensation Wei Rui in the main event of ONE 171, which takes place on Feb. 20 at the stunning Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar.

After weeks of intense preparation, the British star took to Instagram to declare his readiness for battle in the Middle East.

He wrote:

"The work has been done. See you February 20th in Qatar.”

Haggerty is on a mission for redemption after a stellar 2023 campaign. During that year, he delivered a knockout performance against longtime divisional king Nong-O Hama to capture the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title.

He then followed up with another emphatic finish, stopping bantamweight MMA titleholder Fabricio Andrade to claim the vacant ONE bantamweight kickboxing world championship to cement his status as a two-sport world champion.

However, his reign in Muay Thai came to an end in September 2024. Haggerty suffered a setback against Superlek Kiatmoo9 in a rematch, surrendering the gold and seeing his seven-fight winning streak snapped.

Now, the Englishman is eager to bounce back and make a statement in his first kickboxing title defense.

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Jonathan Haggerty faces tall order at ONE 171

Standing in Jonathan Haggerty’s way is a formidable challenger in Wei Rui, who enters this bout with tremendous momentum and an impeccable resume.

“Demon Blade” wasted no time proving why he is an elite striker. In May 2024, he edged out former ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion Hiroki Akimoto to put himself in pole position for a title shot.

At ONE 171, Wei is determined to bolster his reputation and leave Qatar with 26 pounds of gold draped over his shoulder.