The Mua Thai and kickboxing star is in Qatar before his ONE Championship world title fight against China’s Wei Rui on February 20.
ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan “The General” Haggerty is in Doha, Qatar to defend his title on February 20 in the ONE 171 mixed martial arts event at Lusail Sports Arena.
The British fighter will defend his coveted world title for the first time and is drawn against number one-ranked contender, Wei Rui, a Chinese kickboxing megastar who is riding an astonishing 21-fight winning streak.
Al Jazeera spoke with the Muay Thai and kickboxing star before the much-anticipated bout at ONE 171:
Al Jazeera: Hi Jonathan, welcome to Doha. You have toured the Middle East before – Have you noticed an uptick in MMA fan interest and support this time around?
Jonathan Haggerty: Yeah, it’s amazing to be back here in Qatar. This time around, I’m fighting, I’m competing, so I’ve seen a lot of interest on social media around this fight, a lot of support from the Qataris, and it’s been great. I’m very excited to put on a great show.
Al Jazeera: You are a multiple ONE world champion in Muay Thai but you have more recently moved across to kickboxing and are defending your world title in that discipline in Qatar. Why did you pivot to kickboxing?
Jonathan Haggerty: Yes, I’ve recently moved to kickboxing. I was obviously the Muay Thai world champion. I’ve had a few Muay Thai fights, Muay Thai is my first love. But now, I’ve moved over to kickboxing, as well. I’m very excited to compete in kickboxing. I got the opportunity and I took it with both hands. And I’m the world champion now, I can’t wait to defend the kickboxing belt this Thursday.
Al Jazeera: You are fighting a super dangerous opponent in Wei Rui. What are you expecting from him when you meet in the ring at the ONE 171 Championship event on Thursday night?
Jonathan Haggerty: Yeah, 100 percent. My opponent is very dangerous. We can’t take him lightly. He’s got a 70-3 record which is very good, very impressive, and he’s the number one [in the bantamweight kickboxing rankings] for a reason, so it’s up to me now to be the best version of myself in there. We’re ready, we’re ready for anything that he brings.
Al Jazeera: You have been involved in MMA competition for more than a decade. At 28 years old, do you feel you have hit your peak yet as a fighter, as a competitor?
Jonathan Haggerty: One hundred percent, I haven’t reached my peak yet. I feel my peak is yet to come. And I’m excited for when it does come. I feel like I’m still testing myself in both disciplines [Muay Thai and kickboxing] and I’ll be fully developed in the next few years, for sure.
Al Jazeera: What goals would you still like to reach in your fighting career?
Jonathan Haggerty: I’ll definitely like to pursue the MMA world title. So, if ONE Championship decides to give me the MMA world title then I’ll definitely be excited about it for sure.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
