Reigning ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion and former Muay Thai king 'The General' Jonathan Haggerty of the United Kingdom loves the spotlight.
But the 27-year-old is thankful ONE Championship chose to allow him a graceful exit following his harrowing first-round stoppage loss to Thai rival 'The Kicking Machine' Superlek Kiatmoo9 last month.
Haggerty was unceremoniously unseated from his bantamweight Muay Thai throne by the aforementioned Superlek at ONE 168: Denver, which took place at the Ball Arena on Sept. 6.
It took just 49 seconds for Superlek to connect with an explosive counter elbow that ended matters instantly.
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Speaking to Sky Sports MMA Club podcast in a recent guest appearance, Haggerty described the aftermath of his KO loss to 'The Kicking Machine'.
'The General' said:
"I think I was meant to do like a post-event thing. I’m not sure they came to get me so I didn’t manage to do it. I would have liked to, or maybe they thought I got knocked out so they didn’t want me to go through all of that, so I didn’t get to speak to [Chatri Sityodtong], but I spoke to him online."
Needless to say, fans can't wait to see Haggerty back in action and back on the rise.
Jonathan Haggerty says 49-second KO loss to Superlek the nature of the fight game: "Next minute you’re out"
'The General' Jonathan Haggerty remains unfazed despite the quick exit in his highly anticipated rematch with Superlek Kiatmoo9 at ONE 168: Denver.
He reassures fans that he's in good spirits, and that he will most definitely be back sooner rather than later.
'The General' told Sky Sports:
"The feeling of one minute you’re bouncing with confidence next minute you’re out… I’ve said it before, I’ve said it a few times now since I’ve been back."
Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding Jonathan Haggerty's next fight.