After efficiently defending his ONE bantamweight kickboxing title in opposition to former Ok-1 champion Wei Rui at ONE 171. In solely his second kickboxing match. He has confirmed himself able to efficiently transitioning between Muay Thai and Kickboxing, one thing few Nak Muay can do.
The query is now, what comes subsequent? Not only for Johnathan Haggerty however for the bantamweight kickboxing division.
The longer term is difficult however vibrant for Johnathan Haggerty.
Johnathan Haggerty has confirmed fairly a number of doubters flawed, even myself. He has proven vital enchancment in his footwork and has tailored his signature kicks into kickboxing. He even included some very well-timed knees into his arsenal and located methods to infight in kickboxing with out the clinch.
He did all of this whereas taking an extremely proficient fighter in Wei Rui, who himself is thought for his footwork and kicks. With Johnathan Haggerty outworking him and pushing the tempo, he efficiently received the struggle in an in depth struggle that had a transparent winner.
His evolution and confirmed capability to face one of the best in kickboxing have solely shifted the narrative in Johnathan Haggerty’s favor. He went from probably being an underdog in opposition to the top-ranked bantamweights to a really possible risk that he might beat all of them, even Superlek.
After dropping his years-long win streak, What’s subsequent for Wei Rui?
Wei Rui, regardless of dropping in shut trend, on account of dropping his 21-fight win streak. Nonetheless, he confirmed his high-level expertise, making him an excellent match for Johnathan Haggerty, boxing and kicking with the British striker. He was merely outworked by the youthful man. Nonetheless, there are nonetheless unbelievable matchups for him on this division, and a struggle with former champions Ilias Ennahachi and Petchtanong continues to be a viable possibility for Wei Rui.
Their scheduled bout on the identical card fell by attributable to Ilias Ennahachi’s not being medically cleared by the docs to compete. Though it slowed down the cardboard, as that possible would have decided who the primary contender was after Wei Rui. Nonetheless, this mishap will possible open up a chance for Wei Rui to face both Ennhachi or Petchtanong.
So it’s not over but for the 35-year-old wushu-style kickboxer.
A need to regain his muay Thai crown
Johnathan Haggerty now has to select: face the row of killers within the division or try and regain his misplaced crown in opposition to both Superlek or Nabil Anane. He has even floated the potential for a transfer to MMA. I personally hope the Muay Thai star sticks to the placing arts, however no matter the place the British placing icon goes, we are going to all be watching, as he has confirmed himself to not worry new challenges.
