ONE SAMURAI 4 Main Event Result: Jonathan Haggerty Defends Bantamweight Kickboxing Crown In Style Against Hiroki Akimoto
· Yahoo Sports
Jonathan “The General” Haggerty once again proved why he is one of the most complete strikers on the planet, stopping Hiroki Akimoto via corner stoppage just 42 seconds into round three to make his third successful ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title defense in the main event of ONE SAMURAI 4 on Saturday, October 17, at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.
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Akimoto, a Power of Dream veteran, had waited four years for this moment. After losing the belt in 2022, he rebuilt himself with three wins in succession to earn his crack at reclaiming the gold in front of his home crowd. Haggerty – unbeaten in kickboxing and with two successful defenses already on his record – came to the Japanese capital city to silence the noise, though.
The 29-year-old Brit opened with volume to unsettle the challenger from the start, but Akimoto found his rhythm as the round developed and managed to plant hooks on the Brit’s chin, one of which shook up “The General.” It only fired him up, and the Englishman fought through the whirlwind to land shots of his own before the bell.
Round two came with theatrics. The pride of Team Underground and Knowlesy Academy, launched himself into a flying knee that sent Akimoto crashing into the Circle fence. As the two traded in the aftermath, however, the 34-year-old Japanese fighter answered with a superman punch that snapped his rival’s head back and swung the momentum his way.
Riding that momentum, the former divisional king came out firing in the third and met the Londoner head-on. The mighty Englishman, however, had the answer. A crisp right hand pushed the challenger into a defensive shell, and he pounced, driving a knee straight through his guard that sent the Japanese star tumbling to the canvas.
Akimoto showed the heart that has defined his career and beat the count. Haggerty, however, sensed the end was near. A flurry of punches and another crushing knee followed, and moments later, Akimoto’s corner threw in the towel.
The victory cements Haggerty’s status as one of the most complete combat sports athletes in the world. The former three-division, two-sport ONE World Champion remains unbeaten in kickboxing, earned a US$100,000 performance bonus, and has now defended his bantamweight kickboxing gold against three consecutive Japanese challengers, all while improving to 25-5.