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Fifth-ranked ONE bantamweight Muay Thai contender Jonathan Haggerty is embracing the underdog role in his upcoming firefight with one of the biggest titans of Muay Thai.
In the main event of ONE Fight Night 9 on Prime Video on April 21, ‘The General’ will look to add a second ONE golden strap to his trophy case by unseating the division’s longtime ruler, Nong-O Hama.
The five-round war will take place inside Nong-O’s old stomping grounds at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Amazon Prime Video subscribers in North America can watch the entire event free of charge as it happens in US primetime.
Haggerty is no stranger to slugging it out with Thailand’s most fearsome warriors, as he's also shared the circle with the likes of Sam-A Gaiyanghadao and Rodtang Jitmuangnon in the past.
Nong-O, however, is a whole different monster altogether. The 36-year-old destroyer has ravaged all 10 of his opponents in the promotion, with his last five wins all coming by way of knockout.
Dethroning the Thai hero in his backyard is a tough task, but we’ve seen crazier things happen in the hurt business.
Let’s take a look at the three best weapons in Jonathan Haggerty’s arsenal that he can use to unseat Nong-O at ONE Fight Night 9.
#3. Relentless pressure
Anyone who has faced Haggerty in the past has dealt with his frenetic pressure for the entire duration of the bout. The Englishman knows only one way to go: to move forward and launch his blistering striking pedigree on his retreating foes.
Once the 26-year-old finds his timing and rhythm, it’s usually going to be a long night for his opponents.
The dangers of allowing Haggerty to get loose were evident in his bout with Taiki Naito in 2020.
After using teap kicks to measure the gap, Haggerty turned the Japanese phenom into his own punching bag with crushing hooks. His overhand right found its target over and over again, dropping Naito twice en route to a decisive unanimous decision win.
If Haggerty can find his groove early and force Nong-O to backpedal, then he might just pull off the upset victory.
#2. Distance management
While Haggerty loves to trade in the pocket, his versatile skillset also allows him to fight in mid-range if need be.
The Orpington, England, native gave Rodtang trouble in their two fights with his assault from outside, using his long reach to score with outside jabs and teaps.
Meanwhile, Nong-O loves to get up close and personal each fight, where he lands most of his damage.
The challenger does have the tools to keep Nong-O at bay. If he can soften up the champion from the outside, the Brit can find a home for his lethal straight right hand and that swift high kick of his.
Distance management will be key, and Haggerty’s high fight IQ should help him dictate wherever this fight goes.
#1. Chopping elbows
Of all the tools in his arsenal, Haggerty is perhaps best known for his signature downward elbows. The Knowlesy Academy representative gave Sam-A a crimson mask in 2019 using his best weapon.
Even Nong-O recently admitted that he’ll be wary of the Englishman’s slicing elbows in their upcoming showdown:
“The main thing I’ve noticed is that he uses a lot of elbows, especially spinning back elbows, so I will need to look out for those,” Nong-O told ONE Championship.
Nong-O loves a good old clinch battle, which should certainly allow Haggerty to set off those hellbows of his.
Even a legend like Nong-O will go down if he eats too many of those blows at ONE Fight Night 9.
