Jonathan Haggerty retains kickboxing world title, as Jake Peacock claims dominant Muay Thai win

Jonathan “The General” Haggerty definitively silenced his critics with a win to retain his kickboxing belt at ONE 171: Qatar, while Jake Peacock returned victorious.

Five months after losing the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Championship in 49 seconds, the Londoner bounced back from the toughest defeat of his career to retain his kickboxing belt at ONE 171: Qatar on Thursday.

Haggerty, who had very little experience in the sport before capturing the ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title in November 2023, proved he was a true master of the striking arts when he outclassed No 1-ranked contender “Demon Blade” Wei Rui at Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar.

While the 28-year-old Brit tested the waters with low kicks and single shots in the opening frame, Wei retaliated with kicks of his own and then landed multi-punch combinations.

But in the second round, Haggerty found his rhythm and took over the fight. “The General” was poetry in motion, as he constantly switched stances to confuse the challenger, fired off his strikes to the nearest limb, and then backed away before Wei could land his own blows.

The Londoner turned up the heat in the third, finding a home for his right hand, his push kick, and even his knees. Wei tried to keep up and unleashed some body kicks, but he couldn’t match the speed of the reigning titleholder.

Although the Chinese superstar applied more pressure and displayed a sense of urgency in the championship rounds, Haggerty’s defence and distance control was spectacular. The Brit also continued to punish his rival with stunning right hands, knees, body kicks, and push kicks all the way up to the final bell, drawing admiration from the live crowd.

In the end, the three judges at Circleside awarded the unanimous decision victory to Haggerty, who swept the scorecards 50-45, 49-46, and 49-46. With the victory, the Londoner retains his kickboxing belt, improves his record to 23-5, and snaps Wei’s impressive 21-bout winning streak.

Haggerty’s next match has yet to be confirmed, but he previously mentioned wanting to get back the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Championship.

Peacock returns with knockout performance

After 10 months away, Jake “The One” Peacock finally made his return to the ONE Championship Circle, and he did not disappoint.

The inspirational limb-different fighter ripped through Japanese Muay Thai star Shinji Suzuki, eventually knocking him out in the waning moments of the three-round bantamweight Muay Thai affair.

Peacock, the Road to ONE: Canada winner, took a measured approach in the opening stanza, as he looked for his range with low kicks and punches.

The action intensified in the second frame, as the British-Canadian dynamo knocked down his Asian rival with a left knee to the head.

It was all downhill from there for Suzuki.

Just seconds into the third round, Peacock dropped him with a right elbow. The Japanese athlete beat the referee’s eight-count, but a low kick moments later put him back on the canvas. Finally, the British-Canadian striker assaulted him with a stabbing left elbow against the Circle Wall, a bevy of punches, a head kick, and one more left hand to finish the job.

The win pushes Peacock’s record to 14-1 and gives him the 12th knockout victory of his career. Following the bout, he expressed his desire to return to action soon and become more active in 2025.

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