Jonathan Haggerty promises to silence Yuki Yoza with his fists at ONE SAMURAI 1

A shoulder injury cost Jonathan Haggerty his shot at Tokyo last November. On April 29, “The General” gets what he came for, and he is not leaving without a statement.

Haggerty makes the second defense of his ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title against former K-1 Champion Yuki Yoza at ONE SAMURAI 1, broadcasting live via pay-per-view from Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan on Wednesday, April 29. The 29-year-old Londoner had a fight locked in with Nabil Anane at the same venue at ONE 173 last November. However, a torn rotator cuff forced him out just weeks before the bout. Five months later, the shoulder is right and the camp has been everything the last one could not be.

The road back to Tokyo has not been without its scars. When doctors confirmed the injury ahead of ONE 173, Haggerty crashed. But he found a way to reframe it. The clarity that followed has fueled one of the most complete training camps of his career.

“I was devastated, looked at Christian [Knowles, my coach], and I was like, ‘We can still do this.’ But we just had to listen to the doctor, heal up, and be ready to fight another day,” he said.

“I was gutted. But I was also like, ‘You know, maybe there’s a greater purpose behind it.’ So, yeah, here we are now.”

Jonathan Haggerty has a round circled and a technique ready to close the show

Jonathan Haggerty is not arriving in Tokyo simply to retain gold. He has a plan already loaded in the chamber, and the camp at Knowlesy Academy and Team Underground promises to deliver exactly that.

Yoza enters on a 13-fight winning streak with a flawless 3-0 promotional record, capped by an impressive unanimous decision over flyweight kickboxing king Superlek at ONE 173. He has been calling out Haggerty since before his ONE debut, and his trash talk has been anything but quiet. “The General” has heard every word, and it has only added fuel to the fire.

“When I fought [Felipe] Lobo and [Fabricio] Andrade, they were talking a lot of trash. That built up the fire inside me, and it was just a lot worse for them come fight night,” he said.

“I feel like it’s the same with Yoza. I’ve read what he’s said, and he’s been talking a lot. It’s just up to me to put my fist in his mouth and shut it up to close the show.”