Two-sport ONE bantamweight world champion Jonathan Haggerty is a man in demand after retaining his crown in a wild ONE Fight Night 19 main event.
“The General” overcame a first-round knockdown to put Brazilian finisher and #4-ranked contender Felipe Lobo on the canvas during an action-packed second round on February 17 en route to a dramatic third-round stoppage.
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With both the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai and kickboxing world titles still safely in his keeping, the British star now has fighters from two sports and two divisions calling him out.
So, with potential opponents coming from far and wide for a shot at one of his 26-pound gold belts, who will win the Haggerty sweepstakes?
ONE Boss throws it to the fans
ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong has a conundrum on his hands, so much so that he asked fans to pick Haggerty’s next opponent after the latter’s stunning victory.
In a post on his Facebook page, he asked who Haggerty should face next and offered a list of featherweight, bantamweight, and flyweight striking stars such as Rodtang Jitmuangnon, Superlek Kiatmoo9, Hiroki Akimoto, Tawanchai PK Saenchai, and Fabricio Andrade.
The post garnered numerous responses in the comments and, speaking to Sportskeeda, Sityodtong summarised the overall sentiment.
“I am definitely interested in Superlek versus Haggerty. I will talk to my team,” he said.
“But fans are asking most for two fights – a Haggerty kickboxing defence versus Akimoto, or a Haggerty rematch with Rodtang in Muay Thai.”
What Superlek has said
ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion Superlek has been in stellar form lately, with epic wins over Rodtang and Japanese kickboxing superstar Takeru Segawa, taking his win streak to 11 fights.
The Thai standout has made no secret of his desire to pursue a new challenge, but in a recent interview with Sportskeeda, he admitted that he would like to bide his time before facing the rampaging Haggerty again.
“Well, you know the answer [on who I want next], but I’d just like to clarify that it’s not that I have any specific target. I just really want to have a nice challenge to myself, to my career. So moving up to bantamweight, that would be a good challenge,” he said.
“I think I would like to fight [Jonathan Haggerty], but I want to have one more fight before facing him. That would be great.”
Superlek defeated Haggerty by TKO back in 2018 before the pair made their respective ONE debuts.
Akimoto is ready
One fighter who has been biding his time is Akimoto.
The Japanese contender hasn’t been seen since giving then-bantamweight kickboxing king Petchtanong Petchfergus everything he could handle way back in November 2022. Now he awaits another shot at the title after reeling off five-straight wins to sit atop the division.
Akimoto still occupies the #1 spot in the bantamweight kickboxing rankings, and the news of Sityodtong naming him on the shortlist for a world title shot was music to his ears.
“Yes, Boss! @yodchatri Next’s @hiro_a_16,” he wrote on Instagram in response.
Rodtang throws down the gauntlet
Rodtang was the first to call Haggerty out in the wake of ONE Fight Night 19.
The ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion has held the title since he took it from Haggerty in a competitive battle back in 2019. He then made it two for two against the Knowlesy Academy representative with a TKO win in a rematch the following year.
But “The Iron Man” now senses an opportunity to relieve Haggerty of a belt once again, albeit up a weight class this time, and he quickly made his intentions known on Instagram.
“Congratulations on your last fight,” Rodtang wrote.
“You fought very well. Now come fight me again so we can see who the real G is.”
Don’t forget ‘The King of the North’
There has been no word from featherweight Muay Thai king Tawanchai as yet, but #1-ranked bantamweight Muay Thai contender Nico Carrillo has been reminding Haggerty of his own position in the rankings.
“The King of the North” has roared into contention with three crushing knockouts since making his first appearance under the ONE banner last April.
The heavy-handed Carrillo told Haggerty post-fight, “You’re getting it.” But the two-sport king was quick to slap down a blockbuster all-UK showdown against the Scotsman with a brutal flex.
So, fans will have to wait a little longer for this one to manifest.
Haggerty only has eyes for a familiar foe
Despite all the posturing from the cream of the kickboxing and Muay Thai crop, Haggerty has is heart set on another challenge.
The 27-year-old crushed ONE bantamweight MMA world champion Andrade for the vacant bantamweight kickboxing strap last November. Then, after stopping Lobo, he called for a rematch with “Wonder Boy” under MMA rules.
As the post-fight chatter about Akimoto and Rodtang reached his ears, however, Haggerty reiterated his desire for a return bout with “Wonder Boy.”
“Tell him I want [Fabricio] Andrade,” he said.
Sityodtong was less keen on the idea.
“It might happen in the future but only after the other fights. Haggerty has a lot of big fights ahead of him to cement his legacy,” Sityodtong added.
One little-known fact is that Haggerty, the son of a former MMA fighter, holds a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. So, a mixed martial arts bout might not be as fanciful as it sounds for a fighter who has largely dedicated his life to the sport of Muay Thai.
A win over Andrade under MMA rules would make Haggerty the first athlete in history to hold world titles in three sports at one time. However, with two sports already under his reign, numerous options are awaiting him in the striking realms.