The highly anticipated ONE 168: Denver is less than a month away. This event marks the promotion’s return to American soil and features a showdown for the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title between Jonathan Haggerty and Superlek Kiatmoo9.

Haggerty will defend his title against Superlek, the reigning one-kickboxing flyweight world champion who is now aiming to become king in two sports and two weight classes. The event is scheduled for September 6 at Ball Arena in Denver. Ahead of their highly anticipated fight, Superlek and Haggerty squared off at ONE Friday Fights 72 and escalated their rivalry with a heated confrontation. Both sent a clear message to fans: their upcoming fight is going to be explosive.

Superlek added fuel to the fire in an interview with Mitch Chilson during his appearance at ONE Friday Fights 72 at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium. He stated: “I’m ready. I’ll have the strength to face Jonathan Haggerty.” However, it will not be the first time that Superlek and Jonathan Haggerty will face each other.

They previously met outside of the promotion in 2018 in Yokkao, where the fight ended in a medical stoppage. Haggerty was unable to continue due to a cut above his eye, resulting in a win for Superlek. Since then, Haggerty has been a major part of the promotion, currently winning six fights in a row, including the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title from Nong-O Hama and the vacant ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title by defeating MMA division champion Fabricio Andrade.

Jonathan Haggerty is determined to retain his ONE World title

Two-sport world champion Jonathan Haggerty has come a long way to reach his current position. His journey in ONE Championship began with a win in 2019 and that same year he defeated legendary Muay Thai fighter Sam-A Gaiyanghadao to win the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title, marking his first major career win.

After proving his skills as a flyweight, he moved up a weight class last year and captured the title by defeating Nong-O Hama at ONE Fight Night 9 in April 2023. Earlier this year, he successfully defended the title against Felipe Lobo at ONE Fight Night 19. He is determined to retain his title and has been training hard.

In a recent Instagram post, Haggerty revealed that his head coach Christian Knowles joined him for the final phase of training on Koh Samui. Haggerty wrote in the caption: “I’m on a whole new level. I’m ready to keep what’s mine. @onechampionship 5 weeks to go 🤫 #ANDSTILL 🤴”

At the upcoming ONE 168: Denver, Jonathan Haggerty has a chance to settle scores with Superlek while also defending his title for the second time, cementing his status as a dominant force in the division. A win could make him one of the greatest athletes in pound-for-pound terms.

What do you think about the upcoming fight between Haggerty and Superlek? Let us know in the comments below.