4 Dangerous Weapons That Have Made Jonathan Haggerty A Pound-For-Pound Striking Great
Reigning ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Jonathan “The General” Haggerty is entering the final preparations for his first kickboxing fight in ONE Championship – and his shot at two-sport glory.
On Friday, November 3, in U.S. primetime, the British knockout artist will take on bantamweight MMA kingpin Fabricio “Wonder Boy” Andrade for the vacant ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title in the main event of ONE Fight Night 16 on Prime Video,
Before that massive World Champion vs. World Champion showdown goes down at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, we take a closer look at the weapons that have established Haggerty as one of the planet’s most feared pound-for-pound strikers.
#1 His Dynamic And Unpredictable Footwork
“The General’s” offensive onslaught starts and ends with his incredible movement and complex, dizzying footwork.
A master of distance and angles, the 26-year-old rarely allows himself to be a sitting target. Instead, he is constantly on the move and frequently switching into the southpaw stance, whether he’s attacking, defending, or looking to counter.
This footwork tends to frustrate even the most experienced strikers, and Haggerty is always quick to capitalize on their errors.
#2 His Left Push Kick
The Brit loves to employ a stabbing left push kick for a variety of purposes.
Capable of throwing the strike to his opponent’s leg, body, or head, Haggerty primarily uses his push kick to dictate the range, never allowing his foe to freely close the distance.
By that same token, he’ll throw the push kick to disrupt his opponent’s rhythm. In these instances, “The General” again utilizes a tool to frustrate his opposition, thereby forcing mistakes and creating opportunities for his own offense.
Finally, Haggerty uses the left push kick as an offensive weapon upon which he builds his venomous combinations, often faking the kick to close the distance and land his thunderous punches.
#3 His Left Head Kick
When he’s not stabbing his opponents with the push kick, the bantamweight Muay Thai kingpin will regularly find a home for his lightning-fast left head kick.
A superb athlete, Haggerty can throw the head kick whether he’s moving backward or forward, as part of a long combination, or as a single strike on the counter.
The head kick should come in handy in his upcoming kickboxing clash with Andrade. Unable to throw elbows or engage in the clinch as he would in Muay Thai, “The General” is more likely to work extensively on the outside, where he can launch the kick with pinpoint accuracy.
#4 His Devastating Right Hand
Haggerty’s most dangerous single weapon is his show-stopper of a right hand. All of his other key weapons – the footwork, the left push kick, and the head kick – are typically used to set up this concussive punch.
The power behind Haggerty’s right hand is evident.
Back in 2019, he used the punch to score a pair of knockdowns on legendary Thai striker Sam-A Gaiyanghadao and capture the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title. A year later, he sent Japanese phenom Taiki Naito to the canvas twice with the massive punch.
And most recently, in the biggest win of his 24-fight professional career, “The General’s” right hand knocked down legendary striker Nong-O Hama three times in less than three minutes to claim the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title in truly spectacular fashion.
