‘I Just Knew He Was Different’ – Liam Nolan Praises His Friend And Teammate Jonathan Haggerty
Liam Nolan doesn’t have to look far for motivation in his Muay Thai journey.
The English striker – who will rematch Sinsamut Klinmee at ONE Fight Night 16: Haggerty vs. Andrade on Prime Video on November 3 – trains at Knowlesy Academy in London alongside his compatriot and reigning ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Jonathan “The General” Haggerty.
Nolan already knew about Haggerty due to the latter’s reputation on the regional circuit, and the pair were later introduced when “The General” started working with his head coach, Christian Knowles.
The lightweight Muay Thai contender spoke to onefc.com about his introduction to his fellow 26-year-old:
“I think we might have been 19 or 20 when we first met. I knew who he was beforehand. He was training elsewhere but not with us at this point.
“Then he was doing bits with my coach, and we started sparring and getting to know each other through training.”
Strangers quickly became friends, and the strikers have risen from the local circuit to the global stage of ONE Championship together.
The time and effort it takes to reach the top of the sport means they’ve spent countless grueling hours in each other’s company, pushing one another and working toward their goals. Through this, they’ve forged a close relationship built off trust and respect for their brother-in-arms.
Nolan said:
“Our friendship just came from spending so many hours in the gym every day training together. You build a real bond with someone through that. We’ve become good friends over the years.”
Nolan Always Knew Haggerty Was Destined For Greatness
Liam Nolan has seen thousands of people come through the doors of Knowlesy Academy, but he knew Jonathan Haggerty was on another level from the first time he saw him train.
Although “The General” didn’t have any major accolades back then, Nolan believed he was destined for greatness – and that greatness has come with ONE Muay Thai World Titles in two weight classes.
Nolan recalled:
“Straight away, I just knew he was different. He was better than most. It was easy to tell from training with him, and it’s no surprise to us that all this has happened for him.”
The pair will compete on the same card at ONE Fight Night 16, with Haggerty aiming for two-sport glory in his ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title clash against Fabricio Andrade and Nolan looking for revenge against Sinsamut Klinmee.
It’s the perfect scenario for the elite British strikers, who can motivate each other in the gym to make sure they’re prepared for battle at the famous Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Nolan added:
“We train together all the time. Whenever we train together, we always push each other. Even if we’re just in the same room and I’m watching him train, it pushes me.
“I think it will make things more fun on fight week as well, and it will motivate him to do good.”
