“We’re up to the task” - Jonathan Haggerty more than ready to deal with "tough" Superlek in Denver
Jonathan Haggerty knows he'll receive a "hard fight" against Superlek. Over the last few months, the biggest talking point in ONE Championship has been the ONE 168: Denver main event, which goes down on Friday.
Haggerty, a two-sport world champion, looks for the biggest win of his career when he defends his bantamweight Muay Thai strap in a rematch against Superlek.
Haggerty and flyweight kickboxing king Superlek first fought in 2018 outside of ONE Championship. The circumstances were different, including the glove size, but Haggerty hasn't forgotten how Superlek defeated him by second-round TKO.
Since then, the ONE 168 headliners have evolved into two of the most dangerous strikers on the planet. During an interview with Sky Sports, Haggerty was candid about the challenge that Superlek presents him by saying:
"It's gonna be a hard fight against someone as tough as Superlek. But we're up to the task. We're up to the challenge. It's gonna be a great fight, and yeah, excited for it."
The highly-anticipated matchup between Jonathan Haggerty and Superlek is one of many intriguing fights taking place at ONE 168. Tickets for Friday's stacked event inside the Ball Arena can be found on Ticketmaster. North American fans can also watch the stacked fight card with an Amazon Prime Video subscription.
Watch Haggerty's entire interview with Sky Sports below:
How would a win against Superlek affect Jonathan Haggerty's legacy?
Jonathan Haggerty was once the ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion and held wins against Sam-A and Joseph Lasiri. Rodtang later defeated him in back-to-back fights before he could defend his throne, taking away from his legacy.
'The General' later moved up to bantamweight and silenced the doubters in his last three fights - Nong-O (first-round knockout for Muay Thai world title), Fabricio Andrade (second-round knockout for kickboxing world title), and Felipe Lobo (third-round knockout in Muay Thai world title defense).
Nong-O was a world-class opponent Haggerty added to his resume. However, the Thai superstar is arguably past his prime, which isn't the case for Haggerty's upcoming challenger at ONE 168: Denver.
Superlek is coming off wins against Rodtang, Takeru Segawa, and Kongthoranee. Therefore, 'The Kicking Machine' has looked nearly unstoppable, providing a massive challenge for Haggerty. With a win on Friday, 'The General' would solidify himself as one of the greatest fighters in ONE Championship history.