Jonathan Haggerty on his ONE debut vs Joseph Lasiri: “We just wanted to take each other out”
There was plenty of animosity between Jonathan Haggerty and Joseph Lasiri even before the two stepped inside the Circle.
Ahead of his highly anticipated return to the spotlight at ONE 168: Denver, 'The General' looked back on his entertaining promotional debut at ONE: Eternal Glory in January 2019.
On that night, Haggerty earned his first win in ONE, besting former strawweight Muay Thai world champion Joseph Lasiri via a unanimous decision. As it turns out, both men entered the contest with a heap of animosity fueling them due to a backstage incident before the clash.
"There was a lot of animosity behind it," Haggerty revealed on his YouTube channel. "Backstage before the fight, we had a bit of a beef, and I wouldn't say we didn't like each other, just the egos were there, and we just wanted to take each other out."
Today, Jonathan Haggerty reigns as a two-sport king in ONE Championship, holding both the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai and kickboxing crowns. However, Thai sensation Superlek Kiatmoo9 will look to change that on Friday, September 6.
Jonathan Haggerty puts his Muay Thai title on the line against Superlek at ONE 168
Emanating from Ball Arena in The Mile High City, ONE 168 will feature a can't-miss Muay Thai title tilt as Haggerty puts his bantamweight belt in the art of eight limbs up for grabs against Superlek in one of the most anticipated bouts of the year.
Though it will be Jonathan Haggerty and Superlek's first meeting under the ONE banner, the two tussled in 2018 during an event in the UK. There, 'The Kicking Machine' came out on top via a doctor's stoppage TKO.
Of course, a lot has changed since then, and 'The General' is ready to even the series against the current ONE flyweight kickboxing world titleholder.
"Now's the time for revenge," Haggerty told Sky Sports. "I'm glad it's come, we're both at our peak, and we're both in the best organization in the world."
Follow this link for tickets for ONE 168: Denver on September 6 at Ball Arena.