The reigning ONE bantamweight kickboxing and Muay Thai world champion Jonathan Haggerty is all set to feature at ONE 168 next. ‘The General’ will be taking on Superlek Kiatmoo9 to defend his ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title. After showing supremacy in the striking arts and winning both the Muay Thai and kickboxing belts of the division, he is eager to add one more sport to his resume. In a recent interview with SportingNews.com, he revealed that taking Fabricio Andrade’s ONE Bantamweight MMA World Title has been on his radar since he defeated the Brazilian for the vacant kickboxing belt at ONE Fight Night 17 last November.

‘The General’ said, “[After I won the kickboxing title], I wanted to fight Fabricio for his MMA belt as soon as possible. [Eventually] I just thought, I need to take a step back now. I don’t think he was up for giving me the opportunity. It is what it is. If ONE Championship thinks it’s right or it’s wrong, it’s up to them to give me the fight. But if I had to choose, it would be Fabricio for my MMA debut.” But first, he needs to get past the challenge of Superlek and the British striker is all up for the clash next. 

Jonathan Haggerty is all focused on his next clash against Superlek 

For now, the thought of facing Andrade should be the least of Haggerty’s concerns. The two-sport champion will be up against one of his old rivals in Superlek Kiatmoo9. Haggerty must first ensure that the bantamweight Muay Thai belt stays in England before eyeing a third title. ‘The Kicking Machine’ currently holds the ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Championship and is looking to earn two-division glory. Currently unbeaten in his last ten fights, Superlek might just prove to be one of the toughest fights for Haggerty. 

However, ‘The General’ isn’t quite worried about the reputation of his opponent and is putting in the hard yards in his training camp. Haggerty has been constantly uploading training videos on his social media platform and is looking in fine shape ahead of his clash. Recently, the main event protagonists of the upcoming event engaged in a heated face-off at ONE Friday Fights 72. Rather than being intimidated by their meeting, Superlek admitted that he enjoyed the intense meeting.

The Thai superstar was featured in a clip on ONE’s official Instagram page where he shared his feelings about their in-ring encounter saying, “I got goosebumps, Haggerty, we were pushing. I was hyped. He’s bigger, but I don’t think it means much. On September 6, let’s see how much it matters.”

Haggerty’s win against Superlek will set the foundation for his fight with Andrade. But will it be the same as the last time? Let us find out. 

Can Jonathan Haggerty repeat the same performance against Fabricio Andrade? 

It was the year 2023 when the pair met for the first time at ONE Championship. The vacant ONE bantamweight kickboxing title was on the line, and Haggerty stepped up on the occasion. ‘The General’ won the fight via knockout in the second round, thus asserting his dominance in the promotion’s all-striking divisions. However, he is now eyeing the MMA title and feels he deserves a shot soon.

While Andrade may have lost their initial encounter, taking on the Brazilian fighter in MMA would be a tall order for anyone, including Haggerty. ‘Wonder Boy’ made his ONE Championship debut in 2020 and has impressed one and all with his performances. He captured the ONE Bantamweight MMA World Title at ONE Fight Night 7 against one of the hard-hitting stars in the sport, John Lineker. Andrade displayed exceptional striking skills and forced his opponent to retire before the start of the fourth round.

The 26-year-old has recovered from injuries and is raring to get back into action. In an interview with the South China Morning Post, the Brazilian also showed his willingness to fight Haggerty, but in kickboxing. It will now be interesting to see if Jonathan Haggerty and Fabricio Andrade would indeed meet again, and which discipline they would take each other on. 

But first, “The General” needs to get past Superlek to keep his momentum going. Are you excited about the upcoming clash at ONE 168: Denver? Let us know about it in the comments below.