"It was a matter of who hits first" - 'Gutted' Jonathan Haggerty looks back at split-second mistake that cost him against Superlek
Jonathan Haggerty knows all too well that a striking match at the highest levels could very well go down to the slimmest of margins.
'The General' learned this the hard way, as a split-second lapse in judgment caused him to collide into a nasty elbow from Superlek Kiatmoo9 in the main event of the historic ONE 168: Denver last month.
In just a blink of an eye, the fighting Brit's equilibrium got rocked, and he found himself on the canvas staring at the arena lights at the Ball Arena. Mere seconds later, 'The Kicking Machine' was already celebrating after successfully taking away his bantamweight Muay Thai world title.
Jonathan Haggerty understands that it could have easily been him on the other side of the coin if the roles were reversed, had he been the one to find Superlek's chin first.
The bantamweight kickboxing world champion shared in a recent appearance on Sky Sports MMA Club Podcast:
"I think he threw one shot after I got one shot and it was a matter of who hits first and obviously, he hit. I was gutted. But it’s the fight game and inches."
Superlek, being the astute student of the game, studied Haggerty's tendencies and perfectly timed that counter elbow once the former double champ dipped and made his entry.
The rest, as we now know, will go down in history as one of the nastiest knockouts in 'The Art of Eight Limbs'.
Rewatch Superlek vs Haggerty here:
Superlek proud to showcase the 'danger and excitement' of Muay Thai against Jonathan Haggerty
Superlek Kiatmoo9 definitely made Muay Thai even more popular in North America after the clinic he put on against one of the most dangerous strikers in the world.
In the aftermath of his sub-minute destruction of Jonathan Haggerty, the now two-weight and two-sport world champion was simply grateful to share the true beauty of 'The Art of Eight Limbs' with a global audience.
"I want everybody, all over America and the world to see how incredible Muay Thai is, the danger, the excitement, everything about Muay Thai," he told ONE.
The full replay of ONE 168: Denver is available on demand for Prime Video subscribers in North America