Jonathan Haggerty confident that he can end the long title reign of Nong O

Though his opportunity to compete for the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title came sooner than he had imagined, Jonathan Haggerty intends to seize it.

The former flyweight Muay Thai champion, who will take on Nong-O Hama for the title at ONE Fight Night 9 on Prime Video, is excited about the opportunity to finally defeat the legendary striker in Bangkok, Thailand's Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.

After defeating Vladimir Kuzmin at catchweight, Haggerty enters this contest with the intention of first establishing his dominance in the bantamweight division.

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But when ONE matchmaker suggested that he compete against Nong-O on April 21 in American primetime, he saw it as a once-in-a-lifetime chance that he couldn't pass up.

“I wasn’t expecting to get the World Title shot straight away. I thought we were going to have one more fight. But obviously, they decided it was my turn and there was only one more man for the job – and they thought that was me. I wouldn’t say I’m the only option, but I’d say I’m the most dangerous fight that he’s going to come across. I’ve been looking forward to getting that second World Title. It’s here now, and I’ve got to grab it with both hands,” he said in an interview with ONE Championship.

Haggerty claims that after going up from flyweight, he feels like a new man.

Even though he still had some scale issues going into the Kuzmin fight, the Londoner felt better inside the Circle having weighed in at 148 pounds.

He believes that this increase in competition will enable him to perform at his peak both physically and mentally, positioning him well to take on the apparently unbeatable bantamweight Muay Thai titleholder.

Nong-O Hama holds the record for having won eight ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Titles and has a perfect 10-0 record in the history of ONE's all-striking categories.

The Thai legend has also become stronger with each outing, eliminating his last five opponents quickly.

Despite his domination, Jonathan Haggerty persists. The suave Englishman intends to turn the tables when they face off in Bangkok because he believes his opponent is underestimating him.

“It gives you more fuel knowing that he knocks everybody out. That makes me train harder. I honestly think this is my time and we’re going to stop him. I’m going to say the third round. At flyweight, I was drained and I was still running the show. I was tired and I still managed to carry all the power. I’m moving up now. I’m feeling better than ever. So I’m going to be more dangerous than ever.

I think it’s going to be a long night for Nong-O. I think he’s going to take me a bit lightly. I hope he does because he’s going to have a shock. We’re coming with all the power and we’re coming for the stoppage,” he added.

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