ONE Fight Night 16 preview and predictions: Jonathan Haggerty vs. Fabricio Andrade

Fabricio Andrade and Jonathan Haggerty head into an epic main event clash at ONE Fight Night 16 to continue their spell of dominance on the grandest stage of martial arts.

‘Wonder Boy’ achieved his lifelong ambition of starting a reign atop a division with his sumptuous fourth-round TKO of John Lineker at ONE Fight Night 7 in February. At the same time, the Fortaleza native, who endured a tough upbringing on his way to stardom, became the first man to stop ‘Hands of Stone’ in his storied career.

He wasn’t the only athlete to achieve a life-changing win inside the Circle this year, however.

Just two months after Andrade wrote his name into the history books, Haggerty blitzed past dominant kingpin Nong-O Hama to claim the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title.

Like Andrade, Jonathan Haggerty found himself as the underdog in his showdown versus the Thai icon. However, the Brit striking sensation proved that records are nothing but history, as he acquired the 26-pound strap in spectacular fashion.

Those past triumphs and a chance at two-sport glory for the vacant bantamweight kickboxing world title this Friday, November 3, only show why these two men deserve to top a bill at a venue that deserves to play host to this showdown – Bangkok’s legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.

Without further ado, here’s a full rundown of this barnburner contest and our picks for who will leave ONE Fight Night 16 with their hand raised and two golden straps tucked away in their suitcase.

Ted Razon

Styles make fights, and this champ vs. champ showdown is certainly a can’t-miss event for martial arts fans.

There are a lot of narratives in play here. Jonathan Haggerty has been fighting in all-striking battles throughout his career, but he won’t be able to use his slicing elbows, which would be a major disadvantage.

Andrade, on the other hand, has an extensive kickboxing background, but familiarity will come into play, considering he’s been plying his trade in MMA in recent years.

Power-wise, I’m giving the edge to ‘Wonder Boy,’ especially since his signature knees to the body are legal in this kickboxing match. He may even score a down or two in the early goings, given how aggressive he is.

ONE, though, scores its matches as a whole, and I believe Haggerty can win this in the championship rounds as long as he stays vigilant early.

I expect ‘The General’ to frustrate Andrade with his movement and incredible distance management. His outside kicks and fast combinations should allow him to dictate the pace and keep the Brazilian at bay using his impeccable counterstriking.

I do see this match going the distance, and it should be really close. However, if Haggerty sticks to what he does best, he’ll be crowned a two-sport champ by night’s end.

Prediction: Jonathan Haggerty via split decision

Mike Murillo

In the Haggerty-Andrade clash, Muay Thai and MMA collide for a kickboxing world title. And that should make for a fun fight. Being the more seasoned striker, however, I’m giving the victory to Jonathan Haggerty by decision.

Seeing how ‘The General’ destroyed a legend like Nong-O with his crisp striking in his last match, it’s hard not to like his chances. While he won’t be able to use his vaunted elbow strikes in the contest, I expect him to come up with the necessary adjustments even during the fight itself, which would help his cause greatly.

Andrade is not necessarily new to kickboxing, having competed in the striking art prior to joining ONE in 2020. He said there is still a lot of kickboxing in him, even as he has focused on MMA for the past couple of years. However, how it will hold against what Haggerty will be bringing remains to be seen.

The contest is set for five rounds, and it will be five rounds of engaging back-and-forth, with Haggerty claiming the win and becoming a two-sport ONE world champion.

Prediction: Jonathan Haggerty via decision

Vince Richards

Now, this is a super fight.

Jonathan Haggerty vs. Fabricio Andrade is a match made in a matchmaker’s heaven. The reigning ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion taking on the current ONE bantamweight MMA world champion for another belt is the stuff of legends.

While the fight is for the vacant ONE bantamweight kickboxing world championship, it doesn’t mean that these two will be slowing it down because of a new ruleset. This will be fireworks from the start, especially with both fighters just itching to go at it after months of heated buildup.

This is a fight that’s such a tight one to call. However, I sense that this bout will go to ‘The General.’

Haggerty has been fighting under Muay Thai for the entirety of his ONE Championship career, and that alone gives him the muscle memory to go rampant against Andrade in kickboxing.

It’s not to say that Haggerty will struggle, but let’s just hope he did more than enough homework to momentarily shelve his grappling training for the time being.

I’m not betting on a knockout because these two are as resilient as they are explosive. We’ve seen Andrade brush off strikes from John Lineker and Haggerty take the best of Rodtang Jitmuangnon in their two meetings.

Still, this is a fight that Haggerty will take by the judges’ scorecards.

Prediction: Jonathan Haggerty by unanimous decision

James De Rozario

There are many ways this explosive affair between these bantamweight titans can go. Still, it’s not hard to pick a winner in this contest: Andrade by knockout.

Both fighters are coming off a pair of career-defining moments, and that would give them plenty of belief whenever they hop into the pocket and slice one another open.

When that happens, Fabricio Andrade should rack up numbers from all sorts of angles as Jonathan Haggerty starts to restrategize because he cannot depend on his elbows in the entry or exit.

‘The General’s more Muay Thai-styled defense, absorbing shots while trying to reply back with similar fire, could hurt him as the match enters the third round. Meanwhile, ‘Wonder Boy,’ who seems more calculative in attack – given his kickboxing background – should control the pace of the bout with his combinations and footwork.

That doesn’t mean the Londoner won’t put up a fight. However, Andrade’s venom in his kicks and punches doesn’t seem to fade away in later rounds – and I see that being the decisive factor at the start of the championship round.

Prediction: Fabricio Andrade by fourth-round KO

Combat sports fans in the United States and Canada can catch the entire ONE Fight Night 16 card live in U.S. primetime with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription this Friday, November 3.