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Former ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Jonathan Haggerty recently spoke to Dylan Bowker to discuss his upcoming fight at ONE 157. 'The General' is slated to face Walter Goncalves in a quarterfinals bout of the ONE flyweight Muay Thai world Grand Prix tournament.
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One of the things discussed in the interview was Taiki Naito, a former opponent of Haggerty'd who he beat via Unanimous Decision in late 2020. In the interview, it was mentioned that the Japanese fighter wants to face Haggerty again and plans to smash him in the rematch.
To this, Jonathan Haggerty replied:
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"He's just talking now. But first, he has to [inaudible] Superlek and it's gonna be hard. And if he does get to fight me, I think he'll be in for another shock like he did the first time. So I don't know why he's talking about me like that."
The Brit further expounded on how he felt about Naito's bold statement:
"He got smashed by me and he wants to come and [avenge] that, you know, which is quite [inaudible]. Great, sure, do that. But it's not really a good idea."
In their 2020 bout, Haggerty opened up aggressively and maintained a high pace against the Japanese fighter. The Brit marvelously controlled the center of the cage and eventually floored Naito with a piston-like right hand. Despite surviving the 10-count, Naito was unable to mount a comeback.
Haggerty scored another knockdown in the second round and proceeded to control the action till the final bell. It was pure domination on all fronts.
Listen to the full interview below:
Jonathan Haggerty and Taiki Naito will take part in ONE's inaugural flyweight Muay Thai Grand Prix tournament
The inaugural ONE flyweight Muay Thai Grand Prix will kick off at ONE 157. ONE Championship will showcase the top 135-pound Muay Thai fighters in the world, including Jonathan Haggerty and Taiki Naito.
The 25-year-old Haggerty has held titles in ONE, International Sport Karate Association (ISKA), and WBC MUAYTHAI. At ONE 157, 'The General' will lock horns with Brazilian Walter Goncalves in a quarterfinals bout. The Brazilian has amassed 71 wins in his career with 35 coming by way of knockout.
Naito has become famous for his powerful kicks. The Japanese powerhouse will square off against Superlek, a veteran of over 160 fights. The Thai fighter is a former Lumpinee Stadium champion and former WBC Muay Thai super-featherweight world champion.
