"We don't lose, we learn" - Jonathan Haggerty reflects on humbling defeat to Superlek at ONE 168: Denver

Things might not have ended on a positive note for ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion Jonathan Haggerty this year, but the Englishman isn't entirely upset by the turn of events.

The Londoner entered the year as a two-sport world champion off a pair of dazzling knockout victories over Fabricio Andrade and Nong-O Hama in 2023. He further cemented his status as one of the best in the business with a third-round KO against Felipe Lobo to defend his Muay Thai gold at ONE Fight Night 19 this past February.

Unfortunately for the Brit, he came up short in his second world title defense against ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion 'The Kicking Machine' Superlek Kiatmoo9 at ONE 168: Denver.

Haggerty swarmed the Thai star with his usual weapons, only to be countered by an elbow that sent him crashing to the canvas inside the Ball Arena in 49 seconds.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Jonathan Haggerty reflected on that painful defeat, explaining why he only sees it as a step in the right direction. He said:

"Obviously, that didn't go to plan. It wasn't meant to be a walk in the park. We expected a hard fight, but we didn't expect to be stopped in 49 seconds."

The 27-year-old continued:

"That was a bit of a downer, but we're back now and raring to go. We don't lose, we learn."

---

Jonathan Haggerty should be able to bounce back from his loss in his hotly anticipated return

As tough as it was for Jonathan Haggerty to absorb his loss to Superlek, it isn't something entirely new to him.

Prior to one of his best career runs, the British striker suffered back-to-back losses to Rodtang Jitmuangnon under the ONE spotlight. However, those defeats ignited a fire in him like never before, as seen in his 6-0 run over the past four years.

Challenges are something he never shies away from, and he will use this setback to spur him to greater heights when he returns to defend his kickboxing world title against 'Demon Blade' Wei Rui at ONE 171: Qatar on Feb. 20.