nustabet gaming ‘I’ll Take Down Haggerty’ – Chinese Superstar Wei Rui Plans To Begin Kickboxing World Title Reign At ONE 171
ONE Championship ONE Championship Decorated Chinese striker “Demon Blade” Wei Rui is just days away from his chance to solidify himself as the planet’s top bantamweight kickboxer.
On Thursday, February 20, the 33-year-old star will challenge hard-hitting Brit Jonathan “The General” Haggerty for the ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title at ONE 171: Qatar inside Lusail Sports Arena.
Wei came to ONE with plenty of hype behind him.
A former K-1 Champion who hasn’t tasted defeat since 2018, the sanda specialist shined in his promotional debut last May, scoring a unanimous decision victory over former divisional king Hiroki Akimoto.
That victory secured “Demon Blade” a crack at his ultimate goal – 26 pounds of ONE Championship gold.
He told onefc.com that he holds no personal animosity toward Haggerty; he’s simply the next obstacle on his way to the top of the mountain:
“When I joined ONE Championship, my goal was to fight for the belt, no matter who the opponent is. It’s currently Haggerty. I’ll take down Haggerty first. No matter who holds the belt in the future, I’ve come to ONE Championship to get the belt.”
While Wei will come into the contest riding an incredible 21-fight winning streak, Haggerty is looking to bounce back.
Last September at ONE 168, “The General” suffered a shocking first-round knockout loss against Superlek Kiatmoo9 that cost him the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title.
Some fans might think that loss will impact Haggerty’s performance at ONE 171, but Wei expects the titleholder to find extra motivation for this defense of his kickboxing crown.
“Demon Bade” said:
“Instead of failing and then just falling apart, I believe that Haggerty won’t be affected by the last fight. Instead, that loss will motivate him even more. I think he’s trying to prove himself with this fight. But, sorry, I won’t give him that chance.”
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Stylistically, the clash between Wei and Haggerty represents one of the most intriguing kickboxing fights in recent memory. Both men are master technicians with big power in all their strikes, elite fight IQ, and heaps of world-class experience.
“Demon Blade” has meticulously studied his foe and has identified key strengths and weaknesses along with advantages and disadvantages:
“I think Haggerty’s speed and explosiveness, those are his strengths. His weakness is also visible to everyone – his abdomen. His ability to take body shots is definitely a disadvantage.
“I think I have a better sense of rhythm than he does. And then there’s also the fact that I mentioned earlier, his speed. I’m confident in my speed as being equal, and my output and power of my strikes I think are superior to his. I did a lot of homework for this fight.”
China got off to a positive start as they kept the ball under control, and made it difficult for the Koreans to break through.
Wei Aims To Prove The Superiority Of Chinese StrikingAlthough he’s already widely regarded among the best pound-for-pound kickboxers in the world, Wei Rui knows he must add one more belt to his trophy case to cement his legacy as an all-time great.
For him, the ONE World Title represents the absolute pinnacle of the sport:
“I think ONE’s belt is currently the most prestigious belt in the world. I think ONE is currently the most prestigious promotion in the world. Although I’ve taken many belts, this one is the most important.”
Defeating Jonathan Haggerty and leaving Qatar with the ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title would elevate Wei’s global fame to entirely new levels – but he’ll be fighting for more than himself on February 20.
He said that a victory at ONE 171: Qatar would prove that China is home to the planet’s best strikers:
“If I win the ONE Championship belt, I believe this is another breakthrough in the history of Chinese men’s stand-up fighting, so this belt is a big motivation for me.
“I represent China to challenge for this ONE Championship belt. It’s a testament to the stand-up level of Chinese fighters. Once again, I’ll show the world the level of our Chinse striking.”
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