Jonathan `The General` Haggerty definitively silenced his critics by winning to retain his kickboxing belt at ONE 171: Qatar, while Jake Peacock also returned victorious.
Just five months after losing the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Championship in a mere 49 seconds, the London-based fighter rebounded from the toughest defeat of his career to successfully defend his kickboxing belt at the ONE 171 event in Qatar on Thursday.
Haggerty, who had limited experience in kickboxing before capturing the ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title in November 2023, proved his mastery of striking by clearly outpointing the No 1-ranked contender `Demon Blade` Wei Rui at the Lusail Sports Arena.
The 28-year-old Brit started cautiously in the opening round, using low kicks and single strikes, while Wei responded with his own kicks and multi-punch combinations.
However, in the second round, Haggerty found his rhythm and began to take control of the fight. `The General` was remarkably fluid, constantly switching stances to confuse his opponent, landing quick strikes to the nearest target, and effectively moving away before Wei could counter.
The Londoner increased the pressure in the third round, effectively landing his right hand, push kicks, and knees. Wei attempted to keep up, throwing body kicks, but he couldn`t match the speed of the reigning champion.
Despite the Chinese challenger applying more pressure and showing urgency in the championship rounds, Haggerty`s defense and distance management remained spectacular. The British fighter continued to punish his opponent with powerful right hands, knees, body kicks, and push kicks until the final bell, earning the crowd`s admiration.
Ultimately, all three judges awarded Haggerty the unanimous decision victory, with scorecards of 50-45, 49-46, and 49-46. This win secures the Londoner`s kickboxing belt, improves his record to 23-5, and ends Wei`s impressive streak of 21 consecutive wins.
Haggerty`s next fight has not yet been scheduled, but he has previously expressed a desire to regain the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Championship.
Peacock Returns with Dominant Knockout Performance
After a 10-month absence, Jake `The One` Peacock finally returned to the ONE Championship Circle, and he certainly delivered.
The inspiring fighter, who competes with a limb difference, dominated Japanese Muay Thai star Shinji Suzuki, ultimately securing a knockout victory late in their three-round bantamweight Muay Thai bout.
Peacock, the winner of Road to ONE: Canada, took a measured approach in the opening round, using low kicks and punches to find his range.
The action significantly intensified in the second round, when the dynamic British-Canadian fighter knocked down his Japanese opponent with a left knee to the head.
From that point on, the fight heavily favored Peacock.
Just seconds into the third round, Peacock dropped Suzuki again with a right elbow. Although the Japanese athlete beat the referee`s eight-count, a low kick moments later sent him back to the canvas. Peacock then finished the bout against the cage wall with a series of strikes including a sharp left elbow, multiple punches, a head kick, and a final left hand that stopped the fight.
This victory improves Peacock`s record to 14-1 and marks his 12th career knockout. Following the fight, he expressed his desire to return to action soon and compete more actively in 2025.
