Two-sport ONE Bantamweight World Champion Jonathan Haggerty is preparing to defend his Muay Thai strap against ‘The Kicking Machine” Superlek Kiatmoo9 at ONE 168: Denver. The fight is scheduled for September 6th at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, marking the promotion’s return to American soil. Haggerty claimed the belt in April 2023 with a knockout victory over Nong-O Hama at ONE Fight Night 9.

In a recent video, Hagegrty revisited his fight against Nong-O Hama, reflecting on the experience that marked his debut and secured his first win in the bantamweight Muay Thai division.

Jonathan Haggerty’s ‘Underestimated’ Journey

Jonathan Haggerty defeated the highly regarded Nong-O Hama with a lightning-fast first-round knockout. Despite Nong-O being considered a dominant force in the division, Haggerty claimed in his recent YouTube video that the Thai legend underestimated him.

Haggerty further claimed that he had a clear game plan to counter Nong-O’s powerful kicks, aiming to catch Nong-O’s leg for a sweep and utilizing calf kicks to wear him down. However, he knew from training that the former champion was prone to Haggerty’s right hand and at one point, “The General” landed a shot with his eyes closed. 

“I feel like when it landed, I just looked and thought, ‘He’s down,’” Haggerty said.  “This shot here, I couldn’t believe it. I just couldn’t believe he went down. When I saw him wobbling, I pointed and was like, ‘Oh he’s actually wobbled!’”

After knocking out Nong-O Hama, Haggerty was greeted inside the ring by his father, who came to congratulate him. “There was no defense there for me,” Haggerty recalled.” Just a straight attack. When landed, oh man, do you know when that happened? My dad comes up and grabs me. I pushed her away and said, “I fucking told you, Dad.”

Jonathan Haggerty’s confidence peaks ahead of ONE168: Denver

Since defeating Nong-O Hama in a spectacular knockout last April, Jonathan Haggerty hasn’t slowed down. He followed up his incredible victory by taking the vacant ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title at the expense of MMA king Fabricio “Wonder Boy” Andrade at ONE Fight Nigh 16 last November. After a successful defense of the Muay Thai belt earlier this year against Felipe Lobo, he’s now preparing to continue his brilliant run against reigning ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion, Superlek Kiatmoo9.

In a recent interview with Sky Sports News, Haggerty discussed his progress from his first meeting with Superlek. He said, “100% got the experience now. When I first fought with him, I probably had about 13 fights. Now, I’ve got the experience, I’ve got both the belts, and I believe I will stop him. I will beat him for sure.” “The General” here emphasized their last fight outside ONE Championship, which took place in 2018, where he lost to Superlek via doctor stoppage.

Now, all eyes are on the upcoming fight. Who will you be rooting for in the match between Jonathan Haggerty and Superlek Kiatmoo9 for the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Championship? Let us know in the comments.