ONE Championship: Freddie Haggerty targets Sam-A as he plots strawweight title route

Freddie Haggerty has set his sights on Thailand’s Sam-A Gaiyanghadao as he plots a route towards ONE Championship’s strawweight Muay Thai title – and says friendship would not stop him facing fellow Englishman Ellis Barboza.

The 22-year-old named both as potential opponents after dropping Rungruanglek TN Muaythai twice en route to a unanimous-decision victory at The Inner Circle 30 in Bangkok this month.

“I’d like to fight Barboza. Sam-A,” Haggerty told the Bangkok Post backstage at Lumpinee Stadium.

“I know he’s obviously coming off of a bad loss and I can feel that, but I got to get my name out there,” he added of Sam-A.

“I got to test myself against the best.”

Freddie Haggerty greets his corner after facing Rungruanglek TN Muaythai at The Inner Circle 30

Sam-A, a former ONE champion in two sports and two divisions, was knocked out in the fifth round by Thai-Malaysian Aliff Sor Dechapan in their interim strawweight Muay Thai title fight at The Inner Circle 23 in July.

Haggerty sees Aliff and Prajanchai as longer-term targets rather than demanding an immediate title opportunity. He also put Thongpoon on his list of possible opponents.

“Eventually I will work my way to Aliff and Prajanchai,” he said. “And maybe Thongpoon as well if he wants it.”

Barboza presents a different consideration for Haggerty, who described their relationship as a good one but said he could not let that prevent him trying to progress.

“It’s business at the end of the day. He’s up there. I got to get myself up there,” Haggerty said.

The names were his preferred options rather than an agreed next assignment, with Friday’s victory taking his promotional record to 5–1.

He returned to the ring in May after a 16-month absence, beating Yonis Anane by decision at The Inner Circle 15. He now wants to turn that renewed activity into a sustained run rather than another long wait between appearances.

Freddie Haggerty attacks Rungruanglek TN Muaythai with a high kick during their strawweight Muay Thai bout at Lumpinee Stadium

Against Rungruanglek, Haggerty said his training had focused on hitting and moving, creating openings and drawing an aggressive opponent into mistakes instead of simply searching for a knockout.

“We was doing a lot of stepping in, stepping out, trying to make him miss, make him pay,” he said.

“I feel like I done a lot of the things we worked on, but obviously, as you do with every fight, there’s other things you need to do better.”

He felt he had also shown he could attack effectively rather than relying only on counter-punching, although he admitted reverting to a more familiar approach during a late exchange in the first round.

Freddie Haggerty is introduced before his strawweight Muay Thai bout at The Inner Circle 30 in Bangkok

“Bite down on the gumshield and start swinging,” he said of his old style. “But, you know, I do enjoy that side of things as well.”

Haggerty said competing more regularly had made the build-up easier too. Rather than spending fight day worrying about the contest, he had been able to relax and watch films with friends.

“The more you get in there, the more comfortable you get,” he said.

“The 16 months is never happening again. Touch wood, it never happens again. Just want to keep fighting, keep winning, keep beating everybody.”

Ellis Barboza in action at Lumpinee Stadium