An epic rematch will banner ONE Championship’s first show in 2020, as Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon defends his ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title against Jonathan “The General” Haggerty at ONE: A NEW TOMORROW.
“The Iron Man” will showcase his skills in his home country of Thailand at the Impact Arena in Bangkok on January 10.
For Rodtang, it is just a precursor of what is to come, as he considers going after a belt from a different sport this year.
Nonetheless, the first order of duty is defending that strap from the Englishman.
“My first goal will be to defend my title and keep it for as long as possible. I also want to challenge for the Flyweight World Kickboxing Title,” Rodtang said.
“I’ve fought kickboxing before, and for me, it’s no problem. As for Muay Thai, I’ll fight anyone. Who I fight is up to the promoter and my managers.”
But for Haggerty, things will be a little different.
“The General” has a score to settle with the beloved Thai after letting emotions get the best of him in their initial meeting last August.
He admits to being frustrated by Rodtang — which led to the loss — but he vows to not repeat the same mistake in the rematch.
“There are no excuses — the better man won on the night. I felt comfortable in the first round. In the second round, I thought it was going to be a walk in the park. But the Thais pick it up in the final few rounds and now, with experience, I will keep that in mind,” Haggerty said.
“I will come less emotional because, in the fight with Rodtang, he wants you to get emotional. He wants you to fight him. He wants you to bring out your war instincts where you’re not comfortable.”
Despite losing in their initial match-up, Haggerty comes in confident as he enters what is expected to be a pro-Rodtang venue on Friday.
He already knows what to expect from “Iron Man” and he has a few surprises up his sleeve as well.
“[It’s] easier, because I think we know what to expect. I don’t think he’s anything special. Yeah, he hit me with some good shots — three good shots that I felt,” he said.
“But technically, I’ve been in there with better people than him. It’s just tweaking things that he won’t expect this time, and sharpening things.”
Catch Rodtang and Haggerty battle it out at The Home Of Martial Arts’ first event of 2020 – ONE: A NEW TOMORROW – this Friday, January 10 at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.
Or watch all the action live and for free on the ONE Super App.
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