“I thought he was joking” - Jonathan Haggerty recalls getting world title opportunity against legendary Sam-A
Reigning and undisputed ONE bantamweight Muay Thai and kickboxing world champion 'The General' Jonathan Haggerty of the United Kingdom is getting ready for the biggest fight of his career when he steps into the Circle at ONE 168: Denver this September.
Ahead of his showdown with Thai megastar Superlek Kiatmoo9, Haggerty posted a special YouTube production on his personal channel that looked back at his career thus far.
'The General' analyzed the biggest fights that led to this moment in his career. In particular, he said his 2019 unanimous decision victory over legendary Thai warrior Sam-A Gaiyanghadao was the turning point in his rise to the top.
He said on 'Retrospect with Jonathan Haggerty':
"This was me versus Sam-A. This is the fight that changed my life, really. This one. There was a lot of build-up to this fight. I remember sitting in the car, got the phone call from my trainer, Christian Knowles. He's gone to me. They've offered you the world title fight against Sam-A. And at first, I was just like, nah, I don't believe you. I thought he was joking. And he was like, no, yeah, seriously, they've given you the opportunity to fight for the world title. I didn't know what to think. There's a lot of emotions going through my body.'
Today, Haggerty is one of the biggest combat sports stars in the world, and he'll get the chance to prove he's a worthy double champ in his next fight.
Jonathan Haggerty to put bantamweight gold on the line against dangerous Superlek at ONE 168: Denver
'The General' Jonathan Haggerty is set to stake his ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title against flyweight kickboxing king 'The Kicking Machine' Superlek Kiatmoo9 of Thailand.
The two lock horns at ONE 168: Denver, in ONE Championship's epic return to U.S. soil.
The event broadcasts live from the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, on Friday, Sept. 6.
Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live and absolutely free on Amazon Prime Video. Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates on the event as it happens.