"One of the most noteworthy athletes of the new generation" - Wei Rui stacks praise on two-sport king Jonathan Haggerty

Chinese kickboxing icon Wei Rui is ready to carve a route to Jonathan Haggerty's ONE bantamweight kickboxing world title when he gets things off and running in ONE Championship.

The multi-time K-1 world champion, widely regarded as one of the top pound-for-pound kickboxers on the planet today, opens his ONE account against former kingpin Hiroki Akimoto at ONE Fight Night 22, which goes down on Friday, May 3, inside the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.

Should he get things off to a positive note in Bangkok, it should open up a massive world title opportunity against 'The General,' who he does hold in high regard for what he's done on the global stage.

Wei told ONE Championship:

"I think he is one of the most noteworthy athletes of the new generation."

Jonathan Haggerty secured his spot atop the bantamweight striking mountain with a couple of showstopping displays in 2023.

The London-based striker finished Nong-O Hama to claim the Muay Thai gold at ONE Fight Night 9 in April.

Then, 'The General' capped his year in style with another finish of the division's MMA world champion Fabricio Andrade, thus adding the vacant kickboxing crown to his accolade.

The Englishman doesn't look like he's about to slow things down anytime soon.

So should Wei Rui continue racking up wins, starting with Akimoto, a showdown between the two striking stars should be in the offing in the not-too-distant future.

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Jonathan Haggerty set to return at ONE 168: Denver

On the two-sport world champion's end, he has already continued his stellar run in 2024.

Jonathan Haggerty returned with his third successive highlight-reel finish against ranked challenger Felipe Lobo for a first successful bantamweight Muay Thai world title defense.

His next assignment atop the "Art of Eight Limbs" throne will see him face off against flyweight kickboxing ruler Superlek Kiatmoo9 at ONE 168: Denver inside the Ball Arena on September 6.

This all-champion clash will be the second meeting between the pair as Superlek finished Haggerty in October 2018.