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#2. Jonathan Haggerty has championship heart
Perhaps the most important intangible skill a fighter should always have is heart.
Of course, power, technique, speed, cardio and ring IQ are important but when all of those fail, the heart of a lion will always carry you through. Jonathan Haggerty doesn't just have heart, he has championship heart. The kind that makes legends out of mere warriors.
From his gritty championship-winning performance against Sam-A Gaiyanghadao to his late-fight surge against Mongkolpetch, Haggerty proved to have an ironclad heart.
He doesn't just bounce back within a fight, he bounces back in a blaze of glory. His ability to come back and catch a second wind after being battered and bruised separates 'The General' from the pack.
#1. Jonathan Haggerty is continually evolving
If you look at Haggerty's first fight with Rodtang and his latest outing against Mongkolpetch Petchyindee, you'd think the Brit was two different fighters. There is a glaring difference with how 'The General' attacks and defends inside the cage.
After his two bouts with Rodtang, Haggerty fought Taiki Naito and showed tremendous improvement with his distance control, specifically with his punches. He then continued his improvement by knocking Arthur Meyer out at Siam Warriors Superfights with a hook-cross combination.
Haggerty led Meyer into his crushing right hand after peppering him with knees, kicks and stepping elbows. It was a marvelous display of precision striking and distance management coupled with sheer power.
In his fight with Mongkolpetch Petchyindee at ONE: Bad Blood, Jonathan Haggerty introduced a new weapon in his arsenal: footwork. The fighting Brit darted in and out of distance like a fencer. He was never in one place for too long as he clubbed Mongkolpetch in the pocket and then was never there to get hit back.
This level of sophisticated footwork was akin to the UFC's Dominick Cruz and was something traditional Thai fighters like Mongkolpetch had a hard time dealing with. You just don't see a lot of Muay Thai fighters moving their feet like that.
One might say that Haggerty's new footwork has also helped deal with his perceived weakness to body shots. If he's not there to get hit cleanly, then he won't get hit period. Despite Mongkolpetch being able to land body shots in the fight, Jonathan Haggerty dug deep into his intestinal fortitude to make a comeback and win the fight.
Come May 20, we might just see another step in Jonathan Haggerty's evolution as a fighter. That's why he might just be the one to win the entire Grand Prix tournament.
Watch his fighter evolution video here:
