"Let's just give the fans what they want" - Jonathan Haggerty not putting the lid on all-English war vs Liam Harrison
Jonathan Haggerty hopes to "give the fans what they want" by delivering an all-English Muay Thai matchup against Liam Harrison.
In April 2023, Haggerty officially made his ONE Championship bantamweight debut, defeating Nong-O for the Muay Thai world title. Since then, 'The General' knocked out Fabricio Andrade in kickboxing to become a two-sport world champion and defended his throne in "The Art of Eight Limbs" against Felipe Lobo.
Haggerty has accomplished plenty under the ONE banner. With that said, there are plenty of world-class opponents he could add to his resume, including living legend Liam Harrison, who has been his rival for over a year.
During an interview with Sky Sports MMA Club, 'The General' was asked if he'd like to send a message to Harrison. Haggerty responded by saying:
"You know, truthfully, let's just give the fans what they want. May the best man win. Let's go."
Jonathan Haggerty last fought in February, defeating Felipe Lobo by third-round knockout to defend his ONE bantamweight Muay Thai throne. Meanwhile, Liam Harrison hasn't fought since August 2022 when he suffered a first-round TKO loss against then-world champion Nong-O, leading to surgery and an extended layoff.
Watch highlights of Haggerty vs Lobo below:
Potential path to Jonathan Haggerty vs Liam Harrison
On September 6, ONE Championship will return to North America by hosting an event inside the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. Jonathan Haggerty and Liam Harrison have an opportunity to escalate their rivalry on that night, as they will be featured in separate Muay Thai matchups.
Firstly, Haggerty will defend his ONE bantamweight Muay Thai throne in the co-main event against ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion Superlek. Meanwhile, Harrison is scheduled to face fellow living legend Seksan.
Tickets for the highly-anticipated ONE 168 event can be found here.
Assuming they both win, Haggerty and Harrison could decide to call each other out. It should be noted that 'Hitman' hasn't been overly interested in the matchup recently, but he's never been afraid of a challenge.
Number one-ranked Nico Carrillo would also have to lose his upcoming fight against Saemapetch to ensure Haggerty doesn't have a challenger waiting. Only time will tell if the UK superstars fight before Harrison ends his legendary career.