ONE 168: Denver preview and predictions - Jonathan Haggerty vs. Superlek

There's no question that Jonathan Haggerty and Superlek Kiatmoo9 are two of the best strikers of this era, and their meeting at ONE 168: Denver has all the makings of a quintessential super fight.

Haggerty will defend his ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title against Superlek, the ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion, in the card's main event on Friday at Ball Arena in Denver.

The British superstar, who also holds the ONE bantamweight kickboxing world title, has been on a show of force over the past four years with six straight wins in ONE Championship.

Jonathan Haggerty, a former ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion, is also on a streak of three straight knockouts over Thai legend Nong-O Hama, ONE bantamweight MMA world champion Fabricio Andrade, and Felipe Lobo.

Superlek, though, has a winning streak that already reached double figures.

The Thai megastar is on a 10-fight unbeaten run and owns heart-stopping wins over ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon, Japanese superstar Takeru Segawa, Daniel Puertas, and Panpayak Jitmuangnon.

Before these two future all-time greats go at it at ONE 168, Sportskeeda MMA's ONE Championship team put together their unbiased opinions on the matchup.

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James De Rozario: Jonathan Haggerty via decision

While the talk of the town has been about either man getting an explosive finish, I see Jonathan Haggerty leveling the score after a nail-biting five-round war.

First, ‘The General’ has looked beyond human since his switch to the 145-pound limit bracket. And his gallery of highlight-reel finishes is proof of that.

Not only will he have the power, gas tank, and IQ to step into enemy territory, but he also has plenty of weapons in his arsenal to hurt Superlek.

With that said, Superlek won’t go down without putting up a fight. ‘The Kicking Machine’ will make life difficult for Haggerty at every juncture. I don’t necessarily envision him struggling with the thin air in Denver — although he did leave it a little bit too late.

Both men will give it their all. But Haggerty has been too much of a menacing figure at bantamweight, and this will show again when these two warriors dish out a striking clinic on September 6.

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Mike Murillo: Jonathan Haggerty via decision

ONE Championship makes its return to the U.S. this weekend for ONE 168 and it could not have picked a better headlining match than Jonathan Haggerty versus Superlek.

A battle between two of the world’s top strikers is going to be a banger of a contest from end to end. That being said, calling the outcome of this showdown is going to be tough because both fighters have it in them to emerge on top.

Just the same, I’m picking Haggerty to win this by a hard-earned decision primarily because it is being played in his alley of bantamweight, where he has been unstoppable since moving to the division last year.

He defeated top fighters in Muay Thai and kickboxing in his last three matches in world title setups and dominated, winning by knockout each time.

Of course, Superlek, admittedly, is built differently from all the previous opponents that ‘The General’ had faced. He has shown great adaptability in whatever situation he is put in, resulting in a 10-fight winning streak heading into ONE 168.

In the end, however, when the battle smoke clears, I see Haggerty doing just enough to book the decision win and retain the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title.

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Ted Razon: Jonathan Haggerty via TKO

This is arguably one of the hardest matches to predict given how sensational these two warriors are. Jonathan Haggerty and Superlek operate differently but both are extremely lethal at what they do.

I expect the challenger to attack with surgical precision like he always does and set the tone with his signature low kicks.

Haggerty, however, has prepared for this and won’t be a sitting duck. I expect ‘The General’ to employ a ton of movement to cut angles and create distance to counter with his own heavy artillery.

After a brief feeling-out process, I expect the action to really pick up in close quarters.

These two warriors are well-known for the crazy amount of damage they can dish out with their elbows.

I foresee ‘The Kicking Machine’ landing a similar strike like he did against Rodtang and possibly put the two-sport champ on the canvas. Then again, we’ve seen Haggerty rise from the ashes and weather adversity before.

Superlek may empty the gas tank trying to chase that finish, which could cost him if this match reaches the championship rounds.

We’ve never really seen Superlek get finished in ONE before. But if there’s a fighter who could pull it off, it’s the hard-hitting Haggerty. I see the Brit cornering the Thai superstar near the ring ropes and getting the job done in round four.

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Vince Richards: Jonathan Haggerty via KO

ONE flyweight Muay Thai world Rodtang Jitmuangnon previously said that there's no fighter alive who has the power to knock Superlek out. Still, Jonathan Haggerty might just do the impossible at ONE 168.

Haggerty has been on a terrifying warpath since he moved to bantamweight from flyweight, and his string of three straight knockouts in the 145-pound division is the stuff of nightmares.

The British superstar has made bantamweight his kingdom, and I'm sure he'll continue that knockout streak when he faces Superlek in Denver.

This is not to say that Superlek will be at a massive disadvantage against Haggerty, but he's entering a weight class that Haggerty practically lorded over in a short span.

I can see Superlek trying to work from a distance with his signature kicks before trying to cut the void with his step-in elbows.

Haggerty, though, has the power to negate Superlek's advances and his boxing could prove vital in his defense of his bantamweight Muay Thai throne.

I expect the British superstar to drag this fight to the latter rounds before he goes for the finishing flurry in the fourth or fifth periods.