Liam Harrison praises Jonathan Haggerty after KO win over Fabricio Andrade: “One of the best kickboxers on the planet”

By BJPENN.COM Staff - November 13, 2023

Jonathan Haggerty asserted his dominance over Fabricio Andrade at ONE Fight Night 16 on Prime Video on Friday, November 3, capturing the vacant kickboxing belt with a second-round knockout.

Liam Harrison

Haggerty’s victory not only secured him the title but also marked him as a two-sport ONE World Champion, a feat celebrated with a double bonus of $100,000 from ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.

Among the spectators closely watching the clash was Liam Harrison. The former ONE World Title contender believes that Haggerty’s striking mastery played a pivotal role in the bout’s outcome.

From the opening moments of the matchup, Harrison sensed that it would be a short night for Andrade.

The key elements that “Hitman” identified as the game-changer were Haggerty’s exceptional footwork and precise positioning.

“When Haggerty started moving around, it became massively apparent how bad Andrade’s footwork was. I just knew straight away that he wasn’t going to be able to live with Haggerty,” Harrison said.

These components, as pointed out by Harrison, went beyond the standard techniques and made it clear that Andrade was up against a formidable opponent.

“Just go back and watch their feet. Haggerty’s got really good footwork, he bounces in and out and puts himself in good positions and gets himself out of danger and stuff,” Harrison said.

Despite acknowledging Andrade’s courage for stepping into the ring with Haggerty, Harrison argued that it proved to be uncharted territory for the ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion.

“With Andrade, it was like watching a novice. I know nothing about MMA footwork, but he was following Haggerty around the ring, crossing his feet and he couldn’t get anything to counter,” the Englishman said.

Liam Harrison Feels Fabricio Andrade’s Time In Kickboxing Has Passed

Despite Fabricio Andrade’s roots in kickboxing, Liam Harrison observed a significant difference in his approach against Jonathan Haggerty.

For Harrison, it was clear that Andrade didn’t exhibit the strategic thinking and movement synonymous with a seasoned kickboxer when faced with Haggerty’s striking arsenal.

“Now obviously he’s been doing MMA, the footwork is totally different. I know after doing that constantly for four years you’re going to change, but you can’t have bad footwork against someone like Haggerty,” he said.

Harrison expressed admiration for Andrade’s decision to face the challenge but disputed that the clash demonstrated a stylistic mismatch.

“Obviously, he was a good kickboxer, but that was a long time ago. Going that long, you have to go back to basics sometimes. You can’t just jump into a fight with one of the best kickboxers on the planet and expect to have success,” Harrison said.


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ONE Championship