‘It Was A Great Performance’: Jonathan Haggerty Praises Brother Freddie After ONE Championship Win

New Delhi, September 15: ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan Haggerty had plenty to celebrate after watching his younger brother deliver an impressive performance in the opening contest of The Inner Circle 30. Freddie Haggerty picked up a statement win over in-form Thai striker Rungruanglek TN Muaythai in a strawweight Muay Thai clash.

The 21-year-old Freddie, representing Knowlesy Academy and Team Underground, secured two knockdowns across the three-round war en route to a clear unanimous decision victory. The win snapped a five-fight winning streak that Rungruanglek had built inside ONE Championship.

Jonathan, watching closely as both brother and champion, offered his assessment of the performance, acknowledging that a finish narrowly eluded Freddie despite his clear dominance throughout the contest.

“It was a great performance. It was pushing for the stoppage, but we didn’t get it. It is what it is. It’s all love; it’s a learning curve. In this sport, you can never stop learning, so we’ll go back to the drawing board,” Jonathan said.

Instead of dwelling on the missed finish, Jonathan expressed genuine pride in his brother’s composure and discipline throughout the fight, noting the dangers of forcing a stoppage too aggressively.

“I wasn’t disappointed that he didn’t get the knockout because if you go for the knockout too much, you rush, and things might not go your way. I’m happy with his discipline, the way he stepped back, picked him off,” he said.

With Freddie’s career now boasting a record of 25-5 and a ONE mark of 5-1, attention quickly turns toward Jonathan’s own upcoming title defense. The 29-year-old champion will defend his bantamweight kickboxing crown against former titleholder Hiroki Akimoto in the main event of ONE SAMURAI 4 next month in Tokyo, Japan.

Looking ahead to that high-stakes matchup, Jonathan made clear he is fully prepared and expects to deliver a memorable performance of his own inside the ring.

“I’m more than ready. Fans can expect fireworks, explosiveness, and a knockout,” he said.