Jonathan Haggerty has spent every minute of camp dissecting Hiroki Akimoto‘s tape, and the reigning ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing world champion has identified exactly where he intends to expose the Japanese challenger.
The Londoner defends his crown against Akimoto in the headline attraction of ONE SAMURAI 4, streaming live from Tokyo’s Ariake Arena on Saturday, October 17.
The Team Underground and Knowlesy Academy representative walks into the contest with a stellar 24-5 record and the kind of championship pedigree that has already rewritten the modern bantamweight kickboxing landscape.
Akimoto, however, is far from an easy assignment. The former divisional king arrives at fight night with a 29-4 slate and the kind of raw athletic bursts that have carried him through some of the toughest names on the ONE Championship roster.
Haggerty has done his homework and given his foe credit exactly where it is due. That said, the Londoner firmly believes the challenger’s stylistic ceiling has an obvious limit. The Brit pointed out:
“He’s very one-dimensional, but I also think he’s got good combinations. And as I said, he’s very explosive. He’s got good high kicks. But you could have the best game plan in the world. But when I punch you and when I move around you, it’s a different story.”
Haggerty thrilled to headline Tokyo showcase alongside Akimoto
Haggerty has been waiting for this exact matchup for a long, long time.
Now, the British star is finally getting to share the ring with a name he has always circled as one of the very best in the entire bantamweight kickboxing division.
Above all, getting a chance to be part of another star-studded ONE SAMURAI card only adds more meaning for the Brit heading into this clash. The 29-year-old added:
“I feel excited now that it’s finally here. Me and Akimoto are ready to fight. For years, I’ve always wanted to fight him. I’ve considered him probably one of the best in the division. He’s fought the best. His style as well…I like his style.
“I feel like our styles will gel well together, and it’ll provide a good, explosive fight for the fans.”
