Now that the (fall) gridiron football season is over, save for the playing of the third annual HBCU Legacy Bowl a week from Saturday, for the first time since August (don’t forget about the UFL opening its first season post-merger on March 30 and 31), you’ve got some empty spots to fill on the weekends. Luckily, the dilemma of just how to fill all that time is easy soluble, especially if you’re a combat sports fan.
Another championship weekend of competitive violence kicks off this Friday before Presidents’ Day inside the United States. Your virtual passports are booked throughout the world, with the first spot on the itinerary being Bangkok, Thailand. Lumpinee Boxing Stadium is the setting for another edition of ONE Fight Night this week.
ONE on Prime Video 19 (known internationally as ONE Fight Night 19) originates from the venue. Live coverage of the ONE Championship card is exclusive to Amazon Prime Video this Friday night at 8 pm ET/ 5 pm PT. For our audience in the United Kingdom and Ireland, the show will be seen on Sky Sports at 1 am local time this Saturday.
Bantamweight Muay-Thai Championship At Stake Friday in ONE on Prime Video 19 Main Event
Much like ONE on Prime Video 17 during the holiday season in December, the action on Prime Video this week is predicated on The Art of Eight Limbs. Of the nine bouts held this Friday, five are in Muay-Thai, with three being in MMA and one a custom rules bout.
Supremacy at 145 lbs. is at stake (in ONE, 145 lbs. is the bantamweight division, as the promotion bases its weight class on a fighter’s everyday weight and has long banned dehydration as a form of weight cutting) in the main event. Incumbent ONE Bantamweight Muay-Thai and Kickboxing Champion Jonathan Haggerty (26-4 kickboxing, 7-2 ONE Championship) puts his title on the line when he collides with No. 3 contender Felipe Lobo (22-8 kickboxing, 3-1 ONE Championship.)
As with all Muay-Thai championship bouts, the ONE on Prime Video 19 main event is an advertised maximum of five rounds at five minutes per round to close the show.
It’s heating up with “The General” 🔥 Jonathan Haggerty defends his ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title against Felipe Lobo on February 16!#ONEFightNight19 | Feb 16 at 8PM ET
🇺🇸🇨🇦 Watch Live on Prime
🇬🇧🇮🇪 Watch Live on Sky Sports
🌍 Live TV broadcast in 190+ countries pic.twitter.com/sx2plJZbZo— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) February 13, 2024
ONE on Prime Video 19 Main Event Fighter Comparison and Betting Odds
Heading into the ONE on Prime Video 19 main event on Friday, challenger Felipe Lobo stands as the taller man at 5-foot-9, with champion Jonathan Haggerty countering at 5-foot-7. “The General” owns a 3.1-inch reach advantage over “Demolition Man” (72.4 inches to 69.3 inches).
Currently, the oddsmakers have Jonathan Haggerty installed as a -265 betting favorite on the money line, with Felipe Lobo having +200 odds as the underdog. If you plan on betting on this or any other fight happening this weekend, please wager responsibly.
Jonathan Haggerty Credits His Girlfriend for Keeping Him Focused
Champion Jonathan Haggerty has posted a record of 5-0 in his last five fights as part of an ongoing six-fight winning streak dating back to Dec. 4, 2020. Most recently, he scored a second-round knockout (punches) of Fabricio Andrade (20-4 kickboxing, 0-1 ONE Championship) in November during ONE on Prime Video 16 in Bangkok.
Haggerty, who turns 27 years of age this coming Sunday, has mentioned to ONE Championship that his girlfriend is the one who keeps his goals as priority alpha.
“It’s great having her alongside me,” Haggerty began. “It’s motivational. I get to come home after a long day of training, have a little chill with her, and let my hair down. When I’m in fight camp, she’s in fight camp. She hears all the moaning, she gets an earful sometimes, but she’s very supportive of what I do.”
With the fight taking place right after Valentine’s Day and right before Haggerty’s 27th birthday, can the champ celebrate twice over with a defense of the title? Watch Friday and find out.
Felipe Lobo the Restaurateur
In the other corner, Felipe Lobo has posted a 3-2 record in his last five fights. Last spring, he knocked out Saemapetch Fairtex (126-20-1 kickboxing, 8-5 ONE Championship) in the third round of the fight. Lobo and Fairtex were supposed to have a rematch in December, but this fight was scrubbed amid the former withdrawwing.
During the interim, the challenger has taken on a new challenge, this one in the business world: Operating a restaurant known as Recovery Foods.
“When I was coming to Thailand, I told a friend of mine that my goal was to fight the best and open a restaurant,” Lobo said in an interview with ONE. “I arrived here with this plan, my wife accepted this idea and we opened Recovery Foods, which offers healthy food for athletes.”
While Lobo has begun his new business venture, his first passion comes calling again on Friday night. The ONE on Prime Video 19 main event is his first fight in about 10 months thanks to the postponed rematch vs. Fairtex before the holidays. How much ring rust is there?
Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction
You’ll have a classic strength vs. strength showcase in the ONE on Prime Video 19 main event this weekend. Both of these guys can knock a man out cold.
Jonathan Haggerty Quick With Shots
Jonathan Haggerty’s speed with the strikes could tell the tale on Friday, much like it did against Andrade last fall. During the second round of a scheduled five, after Haggerty’s footwork helped him outpace Andrade in round one, he absorbed some shots from his opponent, but Haggerty returned fire with a kick to the body.
Smelling blood in the water, Haggerty wobbled Andrade with another kick and opened up the floodgates with a barrage of shots, one of which sent Andrade flying backwards into the line of sight for the camera. Jonathan Haggerty was too much for Fabricio Andrade to handle, crumpling to the mat inside a minute to go.
If Haggerty is quick at the draw again in the ONE on Prime Video 19 main event, it could be game, set, match, and defended championship in a hurry.
Lobo Can Rally From Behind
As you’ve just seen, Jonathan Haggerty is a tough customer at the shop on any given fight night. If the situation calls for it, he may have to claw back from a deficit to win, like he did against Fairtex last April.
Round three saw Lobo stun Fairtex with a punch, giving him the opening he needed to score with a variety of shots, including a jab and right hand. A punch to Fairtex’s head ended the contest.
Look for Felipe Lobo to come out swinging to counter Jonathan Haggerty. This is going to be a fun fight to watch.
Final Thoughts
If you don’t have any plans for Friday night, consider the evening booked with the ONE on Prime Video 19 main event. Get your popcorn ready.
Prediction: Jonathan Haggerty by Fourth-Round TKO.
