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Jonathan Haggerty has put together an incredible run during his time in ONE Championship that has been defined by both his success and incredible fights.
At ONE Fight Night 19 this past week, he added another entry into both categories with his show of heart and toughness against Felipe Lobo in the main event.
His first defense of the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world championship didn’t all go his way but it led to an incredible contest that is sure to be in discussion come the time for end-of-the-year awards talks.
The second round in particular was a real battle of wills between the two competitors, where Haggerty rallied to take back control of the fight with Lobo continuing to put the pressure on the world champion.
In his post-fight interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Haggerty said that putting on great fights is something that motivates him as he hopes to continue giving the fans what they want:
“Yeah, that’s great. That’s what it's all about, you know? Showing everyone what ONE Championship's about, putting ONE Championship on the map and that's what I want to do, give the fans what they deserve, their hard-earned money to come and watch. I've had a few people fly from the UK to come and watch and support me too, which I'm very very thankful for.”
Watch the full interview below:
Jonathan Haggerty made a statement at ONE Fight Night 19
If putting on a show for the fans was a goal of his, then Jonathan Haggerty will surely look back at ONE Fight Night 19 with fond memories.
That being said, in the immediate aftermath, he appeared to be disappointed in his performance after producing a back-and-forth war with his title challenger.
Whilst he might be capable of better and more technical performance, the aggressive start from Felipe Lobo forced this into a battle of wills, and ‘The General’ came out on top after overcoming some early adversity.
His performance let the rest of the division know that knocking the champ off the top spot comes with a heavy price to pay.
North American viewers with an active Prime Video subscription can rewatch all the action from ONE Fight Night 19 via the free event replay.
