ONE Championship: Hiroki Akimoto says Jonathan Haggerty is not an MMA fighter
- Akimoto cannot understand why Haggerty, who hopes to switch to MMA to challenge Fabricio Andrade, would want to compete in a different sport
- ‘He’s a great Muay Thai fighter but not an MMA fighter,’ Akimoto says
Hiroki Akimoto is the No 1 contender in ONE Championship’s bantamweight division, but his long wait for a fight is set to continue.
The former champion reportedly signed up to face reigning champion Jonathan Haggerty in Tokyo only for the Englishman to turn that bout down.
Akimoto had won five in a row before losing by split decision to Petchtanong Petchfergus in a defeat which cost him the bantamweight kickboxing belt.
The Thai subsequently failed a drug test and was stripped of his title and suspended. Haggerty would go on to win the vacant belt but Akimoto was very surprised to hear that the newly crowned champion now wants to switch to MMA.
Haggerty holds both the bantamweight Muay Thai and kickboxing belts. He has made it clear he wants to switch to MMA in order to challenge reigning champion Fabricio Andrade. Akimoto cannot understand why Haggerty would want to compete in a different sport.
“I don’t know why he wants to fight in MMA. He’s a great Muay Thai fighter but not an MMA fighter,” he told SCMP.
Akimoto was watching Haggerty’s fight with Felipe Lobo at ONE Fight Night 19 last weekend.
The champion defended his Muay Thai title for the first time but had to survive a first round knockdown in order to do it.
The fans at Lumpinee Stadium clearly enjoyed the fight and the noise levels were intense when Haggerty came from behind to stop the Brazilian in the third round. It sounds like Akimoto enjoyed it too.
“I think it was a very exciting fight and it was a great match for the fans as well.”
When Petchtanong was stripped of his kickboxing title a match between Haggerty and Fabricio Andrade was ordered. The Brazilian had not competed in the sport since 2019 and it sounds like Akimoto is unhappy he was overlooked.
Haggerty would win that title match by second round stoppage at ONE Fight Night 16. Andrade, who still holds the bantamweight MMA title, posed him virtually no problems that day and Akimoto says that the Brazilian is not a kickboxer.
“He’s a kickboxing champion now, but he hasn’t fought any kickboxers. I still believe I’m the best kickboxer.”
Akimoto is probably cursing his luck. Losing by split decision to Petchtanong was unfortunate, and hearing Haggerty had turned down the opportunity to face him at ONE 165 must have been disappointing.
If Haggerty does decide to switch focus to MMA if will be another setback for the Japanese fighter. Akimoto is the No 1 ranked contender in the bantamweight kickboxing division and is hoping he will be next in line to face the double champion.
