ONE Championship

Jonathan Haggerty spent last Friday watching someone else fight. Next month marks his own turn again, and the stakes are considerably higher for the reigning bantamweight kickboxing king.

Jonathan Haggerty defends his ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Championship against former divisional king Hiroki Akimoto in the main event of ONE SAMURAI 4 at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, on Saturday, October 17.

The assignment comes after Haggerty watched his brother, Freddie Haggerty, grind out a unanimous decision over Rungruanglek TN Muaythai at The Inner Circle 30 in Bangkok's Lumpinee Stadium, a result that pushed Freddie's record to 25-5 and snapped Rungruanglek's five-fight winning streak. Freddie dropped Rungruanglek twice across the opening two rounds before closing the fight out on the back foot with sharp counters.

“It was a great performance. It was pushing for the stoppage, but we didn't get it,†Jonathan said. “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.â€

Jonathan Haggerty predicts fireworks against Akimoto

Watching his brother's disciplined performance seemed to sharpen Jonathan's own approach heading into his title defense. He has never been one to shy away from bold declarations before a fight, and this time is no different.

The 29-year-old Englishman has spent a run spanning multiple weight classes and two disciplines building toward this kind of stage, defending gold on home soil in Japan against a fighter who once held the very title he now carries.

“I'm more than ready. Fans can expect fireworks, explosiveness, and a knockout.

“Thank you so much for always supporting me for years now. You guys are a big part of ONE Championship. Fans pick you up when you're down. They make you positive. That extra bit of motivation just spurs you on.â€

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM