“Working on the next generation” - Jonathan Haggerty reveals he’s opening new gym to help unheralded strikers in the UK

British striker Jonathan Haggerty has achieved a lot in his martial arts career and wants to provide the same opportunities to unheralded athletes back home. He intends to open a new gym in the United Kingdom to train new-generation strikers to help develop their game.

The reigning ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion shared this in an interview with ONE Championship, ahead of his scheduled title defense this week in Qatar.

Haggerty said:

I'm continuing to go forward in this game, too. I'm opening up my own gym, Haggerty Academy."

The Knowlesy Academy affiliate added:

"I think I'll be doing that after this fight and start working on the next generation both in the gym and in my house!"

Jonathan Haggerty is featured at ONE 171: Qatar on Feb. 20 at the Lusail Sports Arena in Lusail. He will defend his kickboxing title against Chinese challenger Wei Rui. It will be his first defense of the world title he claimed in November 2023, with a second-round knockout of bantamweight MMA king Fabricio Andrade in an all-champion clash.

Entering ONE 171, he is also doubly motivated after losing the bantamweight Muay Thai world title he currently held in his last fight back in September in the United States.

Out to dethrone him is Wei, winner of his last 21 matches and in his ONE debut in May last year over former world champion Hiroki Akimoto of Japan.

For more information on ONE 171: Qatar, check out onefc.com.

Jonathan Haggerty looking to put on a show at ONE 171: Qatar

Jonathan Haggerty said he is out to put on a show when he plunges back into action at ONE 171: Qatar.

He made this known in an interview with the Inside Fighting podcast, sharing that he had a grand time with the atmosphere in the emirate when he was last there and he is looking to give fight fans a performance to bask in.

The 27-year-old Orpington, England native said:

"Yeah, I went out to Qatar for the last ONE Championship event. It was a great experience. Great people over there. Great culture. So, happy to be back there to put on a show."

At ONE 171, Jonathan Haggerty will be defending his ONE bantamweight kickboxing world title against No. 1 contender Wei Rui of China, which will serve the as co-headlining match of the event marking the return of ONE Championship to Qatar for the second straight year.