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On Friday, May 20, former ONE flyweight Muay Thai champion Jonathan Haggerty will take part in ONE's inaugural flyweight Muay Thai Grand Prix tournament.
Against him will be former title challenger Walter Goncalves. With the best of the best at 135 pounds fighting for the Muay Thai Grand Prix belt, expect fireworks from start to finish.
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It's been over two years since 'The General' lost his title to reigning champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon. The Brit's two-fight rivalry with Rodtang was ranked as one of the best ever just by the sheer violence it had. With both rivals entering the Grand Prix tournament, fans are hoping the two will meet each other in the finals to run it back for a third time.
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After dropping the belt to Rodtang and losing the subsequent rematch back in 2020, Jonathan Haggerty has compiled a strong three-fight winning streak. With every win, we saw the Brit improve on his strengths and fix the holes in his game.
Coming into ONE 157, we might see the most improved version of 'The General'. Today we list down three reasons why Jonathan Haggerty might win the ONE flyweight Grand Prix Tournament.
#3. Jonathan Haggerty gave Rodtang the biggest problems
When Haggerty won the ONE flyweight Muay Thai belt back in 2019, he called out Rodtang for his first title defense. It was a brazen move as the Thai warrior was considered one of the most frightening fighters in the world.
The two met for the first time in August 2019 in a razor-close slugfest that was pedal-to-the-metal from start to finish.
Despite winning early by using his length and sniper-like precision to keep Rodtang at bay, Haggerty struggled to stop the Thai's onslaught in the latter rounds. Still, the courageous Brit fought tooth-and-nail despite getting hurt and dropped. As the fight closed, the decision was up in the air as it narrowly went to Rodtang.
The first bout was so epic that an immediate rematch was set and the two faced each other again just a few months later. Much like the first fight, Haggerty saw early success but later succumbed to the pressuring power of Rodtang. The bout ended via TKO as 'The Iron Man' dropped 'The General' three straight times in the 3rd round.
Watch their rivalry recap here:
Despite losing two straight to the champion, no one else came close to beating him as much as Haggerty did. His length, precision and sheer willingness to go into a firefight with Rodtang presented problems that haven't been replicated by future challengers yet.
#2. Jonathan Haggerty has championship heart
Perhaps the most important intangible skill a fighter should always have is heart.
Of course, power, technique, speed, cardio and ring IQ are important but when all of those fail, the heart of a lion will always carry you through. Jonathan Haggerty doesn't just have heart, he has championship heart. The kind that makes legends out of mere warriors.
From his gritty championship-winning performance against Sam-A Gaiyanghadao to his late-fight surge against Mongkolpetch, Haggerty proved to have an ironclad heart.
He doesn't just bounce back within a fight, he bounces back in a blaze of glory. His ability to come back and catch a second wind after being battered and bruised separates 'The General' from the pack.
#1. Jonathan Haggerty is continually evolving
If you look at Haggerty's first fight with Rodtang and his latest outing against Mongkolpetch Petchyindee, you'd think the Brit was two different fighters. There is a glaring difference with how 'The General' attacks and defends inside the cage.
After his two bouts with Rodtang, Haggerty fought Taiki Naito and showed tremendous improvement with his distance control, specifically with his punches. He then continued his improvement by knocking Arthur Meyer out at Siam Warriors Superfights with a hook-cross combination.
Haggerty led Meyer into his crushing right hand after peppering him with knees, kicks and stepping elbows. It was a marvelous display of precision striking and distance management coupled with sheer power.
In his fight with Mongkolpetch Petchyindee at ONE: Bad Blood, Jonathan Haggerty introduced a new weapon in his arsenal: footwork. The fighting Brit darted in and out of distance like a fencer. He was never in one place for too long as he clubbed Mongkolpetch in the pocket and then was never there to get hit back.
This level of sophisticated footwork was akin to the UFC's Dominick Cruz and was something traditional Thai fighters like Mongkolpetch had a hard time dealing with. You just don't see a lot of Muay Thai fighters moving their feet like that.
One might say that Haggerty's new footwork has also helped deal with his perceived weakness to body shots. If he's not there to get hit cleanly, then he won't get hit period. Despite Mongkolpetch being able to land body shots in the fight, Jonathan Haggerty dug deep into his intestinal fortitude to make a comeback and win the fight.
Come May 20, we might just see another step in Jonathan Haggerty's evolution as a fighter. That's why he might just be the one to win the entire Grand Prix tournament.
Watch his fighter evolution video here:
