Jonathan Haggerty was already a marked man, but after defeating Fabricio Andrade to become a two-sport ONE World Champion, the 26-year-old might now be the most targeted athlete in the organization.
With an incredible display of striking, the English superstar decimated his bitter rival to claim the vacant ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title in the main event of ONE Fight Night 16 on Prime Video in U.S. primetime on Friday, November 3.
Haggerty – who already held the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title – came out thumping and whacking Andrade with punches and kicks in the first round of their clash at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Andrade, the reigning ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion, deflected those punches with his forearms and shoved step-in knees into Haggerty’s midsection. However, his footwork lacked the fluidity that fans have come to associate with him.
And in round two, that would be his downfall.
Roughly one minute into the second frame, Haggerty wobbled a stiff-standing Andrade with a left high kick. He then pushed into the Brazilian, knocking him left and right with punches.
The next 40 seconds for Haggerty were both terrifying and exciting – terrifying because at any moment one of Andrade’s counter-punches could’ve changed the dynamics of the fight, and exciting because Haggerty was always one punch away from two-sport glory.
The Team Underground and Knowlesy Academy standout kept pushing, kept unloading punch after punch, and kept the dream alive until it became reality.
A final right hand from Haggerty pierced Andrade’s guard and sent him to the canvas, where the Brazilian struggled to return to his feet.
Referee Olivier Coste waved off the action at 1:57 of round two, awarding Haggerty the ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title, his 21st career win, and a US$100,000 double performance bonus from ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.
