Jonathan Haggerty, the reigning ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion, is making significant strides in his preparation for his upcoming title defense. He recently took to social media to display his current physical condition.
Known as ‘The General,’ Haggerty is set to defend his world title for the second time at ONE Samurai 1, scheduled for April 29 at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena. His challenger will be Yuki Yoza, a rising star and local favorite, in what promises to be a major event in Japan.
In a recent Facebook post, Haggerty, in peak physical form, issued a warning ahead of his title defense by demonstrating his explosive and powerful punches during training sessions.
He accompanied his post with the caption:
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“20 seconds on 20 seconds off 🔥 6 weeks to go #ANDSTILL”
As he approaches ONE Samurai 1, Haggerty reflects on his successful title defense in February of last year, where he secured a decisive victory over Wei Rui of China. He initially claimed the vacant bantamweight kickboxing title in November 2023 by defeating then bantamweight MMA world champion Fabricio Andrade with a second-round knockout.
Looking to dethrone Haggerty is Yoza, who has maintained an undefeated record in three matches since joining ONE Championship last year.
ONE Samurai 1 marks the inaugural event of ONE Championship’s new monthly fight series in Japan.
Yuki Yoza looking to find gaps in Jonathan Haggerty’s game
Yuki Yoza is well aware of the formidable challenge he faces against kickboxing champion Jonathan Haggerty at ONE Samurai 1. Despite this, he is prepared for the task and is focused on identifying weaknesses in the British striker’s game that he can exploit during the fight.
The 28-year-old competitor from Team Vasileus shared his plans in an interview with ONE Championship, expressing his ambition to join the ranks of world champions within the organization.
Yoza noted:
“The more polished a fighter is, the more there are hidden gaps to exploit. Finding those gaps and how to attack them will be the key theme for me going into this fight.”
In his last outing, Yoza achieved an upset decision victory over Thai superstar Superlek in November.
Edited by Aziel Karthak
