"I will stop him" - Jonathan Haggerty says he has matured as a fighter since last meeting with Superlek
Things didn't go well for Jonathan Haggerty the last time he shared the ring with Superlek Kiatmoo9.
That was almost six years ago, and a lot has changed for 'The General' since that fateful day.
Haggerty, who has risen to two-sport supremacy, will get a shot at redemption against 'The Kicking Machine' in the promotion's United States return at ONE 168: Denver on September 6.
The British striking superstar will be defending his bantamweight Muay Thai gold against the reigning flyweight kickboxing kingpin at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado.
In an interview with Sky Sports, Jonathan Haggerty recalled his earlier TKO loss to Superlek at a Yokkao event back in 2018.
The 27-year-old double champion shared why the outcome will be different this time around. He said:
"Yeah, a hundred percent. I've got the experience now. When I first fought him I probably had 13 fights. I was basically a nobody and I just took the fight. Now I've got the experience, I've got both the belts and I believe I will stop him. I will beat him for sure."
While Haggerty has always displayed great promise, he has, in the recent past, evolved into one of the most elite strikers in the world after moving up to 145 pounds.
Superlek, on the other hand, has been on rampage as of late, with nine straight victories against world-class competition.
The pre-sale of tickets for ONE 168: Denver on September 6 is now available at Visit.ONEFC.com/ONE168-Presale.
Jonathan Haggerty says rematch vs Superlek comes at the perfect time
There's no question that both Jonathan Haggerty and Superlek are in their respective primes at the moment.
ONE, of course, has never been shy of hosting champion vs champion battles to determine the best of the best.
At ONE 168: Denver, the world will see two of the very best throw down and go to war. Jonathan Haggerty certainly thinks so, adding:
"Now's the time for revenge. I'm glad it's come, we're both at our peak, and we're both in the best organization in the world."