Jonathan Haggerty was ringside when Freddie beat Yonis Anane at The Inner Circle on May 22. He was also the one in the corner, calling shots between rounds, watching his younger brother execute a game plan they had built together across weeks of preparation. When the unanimous decision was announced, the satisfaction ran deep.

Freddie controlled three rounds of strawweight Muay Thai with calf kicks at range, clean counters, and forward pressure that never allowed the WBC Muay Thai World Champion to settle. It was a technical performance, measured and composed, and Jonathan’s assessment of it reflected both the pride and the honesty of a coach who holds his fighter to the highest possible standard.

“It was a technical fight. He was technical, Freddie was technical, and I believed Freddie got the unanimous decision,” Jonathan said. “It was a good performance coming up against a great opponent. The Anane brothers are great fighters — he’s a WBC World Champion, but Freddie trained hard for this one.”

The eight out of ten rating Jonathan assigned to the performance was deliberate. Freddie controlled the fight without finding the finish, and for a champion who knows precisely what a knockout statement delivers on the global stage, the difference between those two outcomes matters.

“I’d give him an eight because I know he could have knocked him out. But I feel like he just went in with a bit of a technical version of himself,” Jonathan said. “If he had knocked him out, I’d give him a ten. We’re over the moon with the win, and onto the next one.”

With Freddie’s victory processed and filed, Jonathan’s attention turns immediately to his own ambitions. He already defended his ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title twice, most recently against Yuki Yoza at ONE SAMURAI 1 in April.

The belt he wants back is the one he lost to Superlek at ONE 168 in Denver. Rambolek Chor Ajalaboon holds it now after defeating Nabil Anane in March, and Jonathan’s interest in the matchup is plain.

“I want the Muay Thai World Title. That belt means a lot to me. I want to win it again,” Jonathan said. “Rambolek has got the belt, and I also want to defend my belt against the number one in the division in kickboxing. Maybe Akimoto — we’ll just have to wait and see.”

His message for Rambolek, when asked, carried the kind of clarity that does not require elaboration.

“Let’s just fight,” Jonathan said. “May the best man win.”

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