Jacob Smith cites the best attributes in fellow Brit Jonathan Haggerty’s striking arsenal: “On another level”
Jacob Smith can't help but marvel at Jonathan Haggerty's incredible striking. As a former two-sport ONE world champion and the reigning ONE bantamweight kickboxing king, Haggerty is one of the most celebrated competitors in all of ONE Championship.
He has earned the admiration of fellow athlete Jacob Smith who greatly admires the skills that Haggerty displays inside the Circle.
"Jonathan Haggerty is special," Smith told Sportskeeda MMA. "The way he uses his teeps to set up his elbows, that’s just on another level."
With wins over the likes of Joseph Lasiri, Sam-A Gaiyanghadao, Nong-O Hama, ONE bantamweight MMA world champion Fabricio Andrade, and Felipe Lobo, it's no wonder Haggerty is considered to be one of the absolute best.
Unfortunately, even pound-for-pound greats slip up from time to time.
Haggerty recently suffered a brutal 49-second loss against 'The Kicking Machine' Superlek Kiatmoo9 at ONE 168: Denver after absorbing a vicious step-in elbow. The loss relieved him of his ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title, but that won't stop 'The General' from bouncing back and attempting to reclaim the gold he surrendered.
Jacob Smith hopes to join Jonathan Haggerty in the ranks of ONE world champions
As Jonathan Haggerty continues to come to terms with no longer being a two-sport ONE world champion, Jacob Smith will step inside the ring on Friday, Nov. 8 hoping to end the day with his first ONE world title.
Smith will head to the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok for a highly anticipated rematch with reigning and defending ONE flyweight Muay Thai titleholder Rodtang Jitmuangnon at ONE 169.
The bout will serve as a rematch of their first showdown at ONE 157 in 2022. On that night, 'The Iron Man' battered Smith with a bevy of nasty elbow strikes throughout the three-round affair, leaving Smith a bloody mess.
Since then, Smith has gained some experience on martial arts' biggest global stage and believes he can break through against one of the most dangerous strikers in all of combat sports.
Fans in the United States and Canada can watch ONE 169: Malykhin vs. ‘Reug Reug’ live on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, Nov. 8 in U.S. primetime.