WATCH: British superstar Jonathan Haggerty overcomes insane adversity in comeback KO of Brazilian challenger
If there was ever a moment that pushed Jonathan Haggerty to his absolute limit during his stellar run in ONE Championship, it was during his explosive clash with Felipe Lobo more than a year ago.
Defending his then-ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title, 'The General' headlined ONE Fight Night 19 at the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, in February 2024. Across from him stood the hard-hitting Brazilian, poised to derail the Englishman's reign.
Watch the matchup's highlights below:
Though Haggerty ultimately retained the crown, the victory was hard-earned. He was forced to dig deep and overcome serious adversity to get his hand raised in triumph.
Lobo nearly turned the bout on its head in the opening salvo, stunning the heavily invested crowd by flooring Haggerty with a blistering combination. The Brazilian pounced, unleashing a barrage to the body and head the prompting referee Olivier Coste to issue a standing eight-count.
However, Haggerty roared back with authority in round two. With ice-cold composure and precise timing, he dropped Lobo with a clean straight left that shifted the momentum into his favor.
Lobo showed no signs of backing down after beating the count. 'The Demolition Man' returned fire and came dangerously close to ending matters as the frame drew to a close.
Yet in the third stanza, Haggerty sealed the deal in emphatic fashion. Charging forward, he detonated a solid right hand that sent Lobo crashing to the canvas to author one of the most thrilling victories of his career.
Jonathan Haggerty dreams of facing Nabil Anane
Jonathan Haggerty is flourishing in his new division as the reigning ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion.
Following his five-round drubbing of Wei Rui at ONE 171 last February, Haggerty is now hungry for a new test — setting his sights on a potential encounter against ONE interim bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Nabil Anane.
He made this revelation in an interview with the South China Morning Post:
"It'll be a fight I'd love to have and big respect to him."