ONE Championship saw a changing of the guard as the most decorated Muay Thai champion on their roster was spectacularly dethroned at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium at ONE Fight Night 9.
Nong-O Hama was seeking his 266th career win as he looked to make the ninth successive defense of the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title in Bangkok, but England’s Jonathan Haggerty had other ideas, and the former flyweight champion produced one of the most devastating performances ever seen in a ONE championship fight to stun Nong-O – and the watching Thai crowd – to capture the title.
The bout was scheduled for five three-minute rounds, but Haggerty needed less than one, as he took just two minutes and 40 seconds to drop the Muay Thai legend three times, with the third knockdown a clean knockout as he finished Nong-O in spectacular fashion to capture the bantamweight Muay Thai crown.
It meant that Haggerty became a two-division ONE world champion, having held the flyweight Muay Thai world title earlier in his career after dethroning another legend, Sam-A, in 2019.
Such was Haggerty’s performance against Nong-O, ONE chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong added to Haggerty’s haul with a $100,000 bonus for his efforts.
“This is great, man. To beat Nong-O, he’s a legend. Growing up watching him since a young age, it feels like it was written again – Sam-A all over again.
“I was destined for this. I worked so, so hard. I dedicated my life to this. I visualized this. I’ve been telling you all week. And new! I’m buzzing, man!
“Doubt me now! Doubt me now! I’m buzzing!”
Often, Muay Thai fights start slowly and build to a crescendo, but the action hit full throttle early in the first round as Haggerty turned up the power and found immediate results as he dropped Nong-O three times to win the title.
Haggerty revealed that a lightning-fast start wasn’t necessarily part of his original gameplan, but after taking one of the champion’s legendary kicks, his plans changed.
“I’ll be honest, he gave me one leg kick and it went a bit numb, so I thought, ‘I’ve got to take him out!’” he laughed.
“I’m not waiting about. No overtime in this place. I’m out of here!”
Also on the card, there were important wins for men’s strawweight contender Bokang Masunyane and women’s atomweight contender Denice Zamboanga. Both fighters strengthened their claims for future title shots with unanimous decision victories over Hiroba Minowa and Julie Mezabarba, respectively. Women’s strawweight contender Meng Bo also added a solid victory to her resume with a unanimous decision win over Brazil’s Dayane Cardoso.
ONE Fight Night 9: Official results
- Jonathan Haggerty def. Nong-O Hama via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 2:40 – for bantamweight Muay Thai title
- Halil Amir def. Maurice Abevi via unanimous decision
- Bokang Masunyane def. Hiroba Minowa via unanimous decision
- Felipe Lobo def. Saemapetch Fairtex via knockout (punches) – Round 3, 1:56 – Muay Thai bout
- Denice Zamboanga def. Julie Mezabarba via unanimous decision
- Isi Fitikefu def. Valmir da Silva via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 4:15
- Meng Bo def. Dayane Cardoso via unanimous decision
- Asa Ten Pow def. Han Zi Hao via TKO (punches) – Round d3, 0:52 – Muay Thai bout
- Jhanlo Mark Sangiao def. Matias Farinelli via submission (kneebar) – Round 1, 0:58