Jonathan Haggerty

Muay Thai Kickboxing Bantamweight Kickboxing; formerly Bantamweight and Flyweight Muay Thai

Jonathan Haggerty grew up on the streets of South London and fought his way from an eight-year-old debutant to the first Englishman ever to win a world title at ONE Championship. Today, he remains the undisputed bantamweight king of kickboxing.

Profile

The story

Jonathan Haggerty grew up on Walworth Road in London. His father introduced him to Muay Thai at the age of seven, and Haggerty made his official ring debut at just eight years old.

Haggerty made his ONE Championship debut in January 2019. On May 4, 2019, he defeated Sam-A Gaiyanghadao to win the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Championship, becoming the first British fighter ever to win a world title in the organization.

In 2023, Haggerty won the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai title against Nong-O and the ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing title against Fabrício Andrade. After losing his Muay Thai title to Superlek, he retained his kickboxing title. He defended that title again in 2025 and 2026.

In the ring

Fighting style

Haggerty fights with a sharp, technical orthodox style centered on timing and distance control. He combines fast, precise combinations with an excellent sense of counters and accelerates at the right moment to decide a fight within seconds. His Muay Thai foundation also gives him a broad clinch and knee arsenal, while his kickboxing provides explosive hand speed.

Results

Performance

ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion since November 2023, with multiple successful defenses; former ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion from 2023 to 2024; former ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion in 2019; first English world champion in ONE Championship history; WBC Muaythai International Super Featherweight Champion in 2018; multiple Performance of the Night bonuses; nominated for Fight of the Year against Felipe Lobo in 2024.

Over the years

Timeline

1997: Born on February 18 in London, United Kingdom.

2004: Began Muay Thai at the age of seven under the guidance of his father.

2005: First official fight at the age of eight.

2014: Professional debut.

2018: Won the WBC Muaythai International Super Featherweight title.

2019: Debuted in ONE Championship and won the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Championship against Sam-A Gaiyanghadao in May.

2019-2020: Lost the title twice to Rodtang Jitmuangnon.

2023: Won the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai title in April and the ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing title in November.

2024: Defended the Muay Thai title against Felipe Lobo, but lost it to Superlek in September.

2025: Defended the kickboxing title against Wei Rui.

2026: Defends the kickboxing title against Yuki Yoza on April 29 at ONE Samurai 1.

Influence

Legacy

As the first Englishman to win a world title in ONE Championship, Haggerty paved the way for a whole generation of British martial artists heading to Asia to compete at the highest level. His combination of Muay Thai depth and kickboxing explosiveness made him one of the few true two-sport champions the organization has ever known. His resilience after defeats to Rodtang and Superlek makes him a textbook example of perseverance.