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Jonathan Haggerty isn't closing the door on the possibility of him transitioning to MMA and becoming a world champion.
Haggerty has showcased the versatility of his fighting skills by becoming the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai and kickboxing world champion. The UK superstar might not settle for a legacy in striking sports, as he's previously teased an interest in developing grappling skills for a transition to MMA.
During an interview with Sky Sports MMA Club, Haggerty discussed how long he would need to evolve into a world-class MMA fighter. The 27-year-old responded by saying his expected timeline would be less than five years:
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"I'd say a good strong three years to be at the top of my MMA game. That's all I need to get myself ready for MMA."
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Jonathan Haggerty is also a former ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion who officially made his bantamweight debut in April 2023. Haggerty secured a first-round knockout win against Nong-O to claim the Muay Thai title in his new division before knocking out Fabricio Andrade for the bantamweight kickboxing throne.
Jonathan Haggerty has business to take care of before potential MMA transition
Following his Fabricio Andrade win, Jonathan Haggerty returned to the ONE bantamweight Muay Tha division to defend his throne for the first time. Haggerty was surprisingly knocked down early in his battle against Felipe Lobo before knocking out the Brazilian in round three of the ONE Fight Night 18 main event.
On September 6, Haggerty looks to secure his second title defense in the ONE 168 co-main event. Standing in the two-sport world champion's way is ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion Superlek, who is coming off impressive wins against Rodtang (Muay Thai) and Takeru Segawa (kickboxing).
Therefore, 'The General' is solely focused on adding Superlek's legendary name to his resume. With a win at ONE 168, there are several options for future action-packed bantamweight fights before a transition to MMA, including Rodtang (rematch), Nico Carrillo, Wei Rui, Nong-O (rematch), and Andrade (rematch).
ONE 168 will take place inside the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. Tickets for the highly-anticipated event can be found here.
