Jonathan Haggerty Set To Showcase Power In Bantamweight Debut At ONE on Prime Video 4

ONE Championship will see its bantamweight Muay Thai division get a little extra star power when Jonathan Haggerty moves up to take on Vladimir Kuzmin at ONE on Prime Video 4: Abbasov vs. Lee on Friday, November 18. The event, which airs free to all U.S. and Canadian Amazon Prime subscribers, will mark the Brit’s first bout in his new division.

And he is satisfied with leaving the flyweight division behind, for now, as he felt he left at the top of the mountain. His prior performances showed his talent, and he believes it indicates how he can turn the bantamweight division on its head.

“I feel like I’ve only lost once in ONE Championship, and it was against Rodtang. I feel like I won the first fight we had. I believe I won. I thought I did enough to win it, but we won’t dwell on the past. But yeah, coming into the other fights afterwards, I still feel like I was at the top in that division, and I still think I am, if was ever to go back down,” said Haggerty.

“Nobody’s beaten Taki Naito in the fashion that I did. I didn’t even come out of second gear against him. And it just goes to show how much better I am than them sort of guys. Even with even Mongkolpetch, nobody dealt with him the way I did. I put on a clinical performance. It just goes to show how good I really am.”

The Brit does not expect an easy go of it at bantamweight. Kuzmin will pose a significant threat to the former ONE champion, and it will be a good litmus test for how he can perform in his new division. He expects the Russian to be aggressive and attempt to utilize his size against the former flyweight.

But Haggerty has been putting on muscle since deciding to move up. He is incrementally adding strength and feels that will convert into power to be an even more dangerous finisher. And although Kuzmin will be a tough out, he will be looking for the KO blow at all times.

“I’m not going to take anything from them, to be honest, because they were flyweights. I know stepping up a division, it’s going to be harder to put them away. But I’ve got a saying: in the flyweight division, I was struggling to keep them on the canvas. But now that I’m in the bantamweight division and I’m bigger, they’re going to stay down, and they’re not going to get back up,” said “The General.”

“I feel like it will be tough to get him out of there. You know, I might go to points. But I am looking for the stoppage, and I’m also looking for a $50k bonus. If it’s there, then I’m going to take it. You don’t get paid by the hour!”

ONE on Prime Video 4: Abbasov vs. Lee airs live and free on Friday, November 18, at 8 p.m. ET/5 a.m. PT. Tickets for the event are on sale now at Ticketmaster.

Muay Thai MONSTER Jonathan Haggerty Is READY FOR WAR 👊😤

Former ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Jonathan Haggerty is ready to move up and test his striking prowess against bigger fighters at bantamweight! Wi…

Mixed martial arts, Mma, One championship

Black Belt Magazine