- George Chung
- Feb 7, 2024
- 2 min read
On Friday, February 16, Felipe Lobo will try to break the heart of Jonathan Haggerty at ONE Fight Night 19.
The two have had a rivalry brewing since Lobo called out the Brit last year, and the "Demolition Man" is excited for his opportunity to become the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion.
"[Haggerty has] been calling me since my last fight with Saemapetch. When my fight with Saemapetch ended, back at the hotel, he walked past me and said, 'I liked watching you fight. You're next,'" Lobo told ONE Championship.
The chirping between the two bantamweight stars did not end on that night. It continued all through Haggerty's bid to become a two-division king against Fabricio Andrade.
Constant chatter between the two sides helped lay the groundwork for their upcoming battles inside the ring.
"On the day of the fight with Fabricio, it was the same thing. [Haggerty] walked past me and said, 'You're next,'" Lobo recalled.
"I said, 'Let's see what happens next time. I'm waiting for you.' His coaches came and said a lot of things, but I couldn't understand because everyone was talking at the same time. He likes to talk a lot. He is talkative."
Lobo admitted that the trash talk has given him increased motivation ahead of the February 26 collision.
The Brazilian is out to prove himself to Haggerty but also announce himself to the world by upending one of the biggest stars in martial arts. However, Lobo understands it is a steep challenge as "The General" is in peak form.
"He knows how to use his boxing very well. He moves forward all the time and kicks very well. Furthermore, he has good feints that I need to pay attention to so as not to be surprised. But I believe his strong point is his speed. He moves very well," the challenger examined.
"And his weak point is that he can't take many hits. He's very good at hitting, but when it comes to defending himself, protecting himself, he's not so good."
Win or lose, Lobo is coming to bring the fight to the Brit.
After dazzling the Muay Thai world with shocking knockouts, the "Demolition Man" is ready to add another to his list and become the undisputed ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion in the process.
"Like I said, I think there will be a lot of striking in this fight. I'm preparing myself for everything, walking backward, moving forwards, to suppress, but I keep in mind that I can't let him get comfortable in the fight," Lobo said.
"But my prediction is to win this fight by knockout. I'm going to knock him out – that's my prediction."
ONE Fight Night 19 airs live on Prime Video on Friday, February 16. The action begins at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST and is free for all Amazon Prime subscribers based in the U.S. and Canada.
