While Jonathan Haggerty has already conquered the worlds of Muay Thai and kickboxing, he’d love to challenge himself even further and take on a UFC star in a mixed-rules showdown.
On February 20, the Englishman will return to action in his eagerly-anticipated comeback fight at ONE Championship 171 inside the Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar.
In a contest that looks destined to excite, Haggerty will put his bantamweight kickboxing world championship on the line against Wei Rui.
And should he emerge from the bout unscathed, then there are several paths the talented striker could go down.
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Jonathan Haggerty wants Sean O’Malley in a mixed-rules fight
Blessed with a thunderous downward elbow and devastating kicks, Jonathan Haggerty has proven himself as one of the best pound-for-pound Muay Thai practitioners on the planet.
And with his father having fought in MMA during his own sporting prime, the Londoner has learned the basic grappling skills necessary to compete in the discipline.
Back at ONE X, Demetrious Johnson and Rodtang Jitmuangnon clashed in a truly epic encounter, in which they did a round of Muay Thai before switching to MMA in the second segment.
In an electrifying opener, the Thai unleashed thunderous shots, with ‘Mighty Mouse’ having to ride out the storm, before closing the show with a rear-naked choke, as soon as the contest entered his realm.
Having watched the entertaining spectacle, Haggerty would love to put his skills to the test in a similar fight.
In an exclusive interview with Bloody Elbow, he exclaimed: “100%, I’m a fighter — I’m up for anything. If it makes sense, I’m definitely up for it. If there’s a challenge, then I’m up for a challenge. That would be a great thing to do, for sure.”
When asked for his dream opponent, he had just two names: “Fabricio Andrade [and] Sean O’Malley.”
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Jonathan Haggerty loved his time chatting with Demetrious Johnson
Having cemented his status as a combat sports superstar, Haggerty was recently invited onto Johnson’s podcast to discuss his sensational journey and upcoming title defense against Rui.
And it’s fair to say, he thoroughly enjoyed his conversation with the ONE Championship Hall of Famer.
He beamed: “It was an amazing experience. Just being in his presence is an honor. At such a young age, I was growing up watching MMA — he’s such a legend.
“To be going on his podcast, to be invited on there, I was very thankful, grateful, and honored. I’m very happy with that.”