“The MMA belt is what will complete it” - Jonathan Haggerty confident he can become a three-sport world champion
Two-sport ONE world champion Jonathan Haggerty is a man on a mission. 'The General' is scheduled to defend his ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title against a very strong opponent in flyweight kickboxing king Superlek Kiatmoo9 when ONE Championship returns to Denver, Colorado, on Sept. 6.
But beyond his next title defense in ONE 168: Denver, Haggerty hinted that he's ready for another journey on a third sport: mixed martial arts.
Speaking on Sky Sports MMA Club during his break in London, England, before returning to his training camp in Koh Samui, the 27-year-old kingpin said:
"I mean I’ve said it before. ONE Championship needs to give me a 12-week notice to fight Fabricio Andrade for the MMA belt. I’m signing it. I’m signing the contract. I’m confident in myself. I’ve already beat him in the stand-up and I feel his speciality in MMA is the stand-up."
He added:
"So, what is he gonna do? Shoot takedowns? I’m very confident I can beat him. I’ve been calling him out so much. He must hate me."
It is not surprising that Haggerty carries that much swag, as his eyes are set on the finish line at the end of the day:
"This is the fight game, after all. I’m not trying to be greedy or arrogant. I’m just a man on a mission. I’m here to take it all. And those are just my goals, really. The MMA belt is what will complete it."
Superlek prepares sharp tools ahead of massive fight against Jonathan Haggerty
At ONE 168: Denver, two-sport ruler Jonathan Haggerty will face another Thai legend in Superlek Kiatmoo9, and the Thai is far from a pushover.
'The Kicking Machine' is currently riding on a nine win streak with ONE Championship, and he will first aim for the tenth when facing Kongthoranee Sor Sommai in ONE Friday Fights 68 on June 28.
In a recent video posted by ONE on Instagram, Superlek was seen practicing his sharp knees, as the organization wrote in the caption:
"Putting in the work 💪 Will Superlek come out on top when he faces Kongthoranee at ONE Friday Fights 68? Get your PPV to catch the action! 🔥 @superlek 789"
Tickets for ONE 168 are available via Ticketmaster.