Jonathan Haggerty got to shine again in U.S. primetime at ONE Fight Night 19. “The General” successfully defended the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title by third-round TKO against Felipe Lobo in an all-out war.
Even though he picked up the win, “The General” admitted he does not want to be in those types of brawls moving forward.
“If I’m totally honest, I’m not really happy with that performance, but the main thing is we got it done. I’m used to just being in and out, bouncing around, hitting and not getting hit, but a lot of people said to me, ‘It can’t always be your way.’ And I just showed tonight that I’ve got heart,” Haggerty told ONE.
“I wouldn’t say it’s enjoyable fighting like that. But I love it. I do love it. I can’t say I’m happy to do it again any time soon, but it is what it is, and I’m happy to get a performance bonus and keep the belt.”
The Brit was on the ropes in the first round. Lobo scored a knockdown and took the early lead in the matchup. However, Haggerty was sure he would survive and return the favor against the “Demolition Man.”
“There was no doubt he caught me with a big shot. I wasn’t really hurt that bad. I just thought I’d take a little rest and take a seat. I knew I’d get him back. There isn’t any quit in me. There never is, and I showed that tonight,” the bantamweight king recalled.
Leading into the match, there was a lot of chatter. The rivalry had built throughout 2023, but once that final bell rang, it was time to put it behind them.
Lobo and the division’s titleholder embraced and shared their mutual respect, showing what martial arts is all about.
“After the fight, I told him that it’s just business. You’ve got to do what you got to do before the fight to build it up and psyche yourself up,” Haggerty remarked.
“At the end of the day, we’re both warriors. I respect anyone who gets in there with me, especially if they put on a performance like he did and stand in the middle of the ring and have a shootout.”
“There’s respect there, and I wish him all the best.”
With the first title defense of the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title under his belt, there are still plenty of opportunities awaiting “The General.”
While he called for a shot at three-sport gold targeting Fabricio Andrade’s MMA crown, other contenders like Nico Carrillo, Saemapetch Fairtex, and Hiroki Akimoto wait in the rings. Haggerty is planning on taking some time before accepting his next challenge.
“I’m happy to fight anyone, but at this moment in time, it’s back to the drawing board. Forget everyone, I’m the champ-champ. They can all wait in line and discuss it amongst themselves. I’m going to have a little bit of a rest, recoup, and elevate,” Haggerty said.