Jonathan Haggerty says training even during his worst days keeps his hunger in check: "The gym is a great place for me"
Jonathan Haggerty says that going back into the gym after his loss to Superlek Kiatmoo9 has been very therapeutic for him.
The former ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion surrendered his divisional belt to ONE flyweight kickboxing world title-holder Superlek Kiatmoo9, by way of a devastating first-round knockout this past month at ONE 168: Denver.
Before meeting Superlek, Haggerty had gone on a six-fight winning streak, and although 'The General' has been in this position before, it was difficult for him not to feel disappointed with his performance.
But in a new interview this week, Haggerty revealed that he has recognized the importance of keeping his mental health in check, in a way that he never did before.
Speaking on the Sky Sports MMA Club Podcast, the current ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion:
"The gym is a great place for me. I've been there before, I lost the belt before and I didn't go to the gym for a few months, it made me a lot worse. So being back in the gym, mentally, physically stronger. And just being motivated as well, staying ready. And a healthy mind helps a lot."
Jonathan Haggerty previously lost his flyweight Muay Thai belt to 'The Iron Man' Rodtang Jitmuangnon in a closely contested matchup in August 2019.
Upset with the judges' decision, Haggerty vowed to reclaim his crown in a rematch, which saw 'The General' ultimately fall to Rodtang by way of knockout.
Watch the full replay of ONE 168: Denver via Amazon Prime Video.
Jonathan Haggerty vows to tackle adversity by finding the courage to get stronger
Jonathan Haggerty is certainly tackling his loss to Superlek as another hurdle to overcome.
Failures are very difficult to accept but as Haggerty mentioned above, there must be a healthy way to cope with defeat so that you grow stronger, not weaker.
This week, 'The General' sent a simple message to his fans on Instagram that aptly correlates to what he wants to achieve and how he wants to move forward:
"What defines us is how well we rise after falling.#illbeback."