Haggerty Makes Statement With Thrilling Victory Over Mongkolpetch
Jonathan “The General” Haggerty may have earned himself a trilogy bout with ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon with his performance on Friday night.
The former titleholder earned a unanimous decision victory over #4-ranked contender Mongkolpetch Petchyindee after three rounds of nonstop action at ONE: BAD BLOOD.
Haggerty, currently ranked #2 in the division, answered the opening bell of the co-main event showdown like a man possessed. He threw boxing combinations at his Thai rival and then dumped him with sweeps before he could counter.
Following the punches were elbows – and lots of them. But it was Haggerty’s left kicks at the end of his attacks that flustered his opponent. Despite entering the Singapore Indoor Stadium with a spotless 4-0 ONE Super Series record, Mongkolpetch couldn’t seem to find his footing.
A Haggerty hook to the body, followed by another to Mongkolpetch’s head, topped off a pristine first round for the Englishman.
Mongkolpetch matched his opposite number’s aggression at the start of round two and scored with left body kicks. But “The General” kept tripping his rival up whenever they engaged in close range.
Midway through the stanza, however, the Thai striker blasted the Englishman with a body shot and, for the first time, had him on the back foot. He followed it up by ripping into Haggerty’s body with hooks before finishing with elbows.
“The General” waved him on, and Mongkolpetch continued to rain down body punches, elbows, and uppercuts as the second frame wound down.
Going into the final round, the fight could’ve teetered in both directions. If Mongkolpetch continued to attack his foe’s body with hooks and kicks, he might have the win. But if Haggerty regrouped and returned to his old form, he’d steal the victory. The following three minutes told it all.
The Petchyindee Academy man worked inside the clinch, where he sent knees into Haggerty’s midsection and folded him over. But the 24-year-old Brit’s will couldn’t be broken. He snuffed the former Lumpinee Stadium World Champion with an elbow that caused damage.
Mongkolpetch began to fade, and “The General” carried home a hard-fought victory.
Haggerty is now 18-4 in kickboxing and Muay Thai, and he could very well be the next man to challenge Rodtang after the Muay Thai legend’s special rules super-fight with Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson at ONE X on 26 March.
