"You need heart, grit, and determination" - Jonathan Haggerty identifies the key traits that helped him beat legendary Sam-A
Jonathan Haggerty has a world-class arsenal to take out the best strikers in the game today. However, he needed more than just that in his sophomore outing against then-ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Sam-A Gaiyanghadao.
The pair went to war at ONE: For Honor in Jakarta's Istora Senayan in May 2019, competing in a nail-biting five-round thriller that saw both men put everything on the line to ensure they got their hand raised.
While Sam-A appeared to have found a way past the Brit's forward pressure and high-volume attacks in the earlier portion of the tie, Jonathan Haggerty shifted into a higher gear later to ensure he walked out of Indonesia with 26 pounds of gold in his suitcase.
On what he did differently to gain one of the biggest wins of his career, the London-based fighter had this to say in a clip he uploaded to his YouTube channel:
"He's sort of like a fighter that likes to gradually get stronger. And this is where it gets a bit bloody. Elbow war. I think it just turned into an all-out elbow war, this one.
"He knew he was down on the scorecards, so he was just trying to put the pressure on. So the mentality you need at this sort of level, especially in this sort of fight, you need heart, grit, and determination."
Watch the full video here:
Jonathan Haggerty keen to add another Thai icon to his list of victims
Besides Sam-A, Jonathan Haggerty took out another Thai legend, Nong-O Hama, to claim the first of two world titles in the bantamweight Muay Thai and kickboxing division he owns today.
Next, the Knowlesy Academy and Team Underground superstar has a chance to add another icon to his impressive resume when he defends his Muay Thai gold against ONE flyweight kickboxing king Superlek Kiatmoo9.
Their five-round war will be part of the promotion's second on-ground event in the United States, ONE 168: Denver, on September 6.
Tickets for the showcase inside the Ball Arena can be purchased here.