Jonathan Haggerty left Tokyo with his championship intact, but the knees that helped him retain the title have sparked controversy. Hiroki Akimoto’s team is demanding answers, with the Japanese challenger’s manager announcing a formal protest over alleged rule violations in their ONE SAMURAI 4 main event. The complaint questions both Haggerty’s technique and the referee’s response.
Haggerty retained his ONE bantamweight kickboxing world title at Ariake Arena on October 17, winning by TKO 42 seconds into round three with a knee strike. It marked the British champion's third successful defense.
The fight had been anything but one-way traffic. Akimoto connected with a hook in the opening round and answered Haggerty's airborne knee in the second with a leaping right hand. Early in the third, Haggerty landed a right hand, followed by a knee that dropped the former champion. Akimoto beat the count, but more punches and another knee brought the towel.
Hiroki Akimoto's Team Flags Two Incidents
The complaint centers on what Haggerty was doing with his hands while throwing those knees. Akimoto's manager alleges the champion pressed down on his opponent's head and pulled him into the strikes, conduct the team says is prohibited under ONE's kickboxing rules. The objection is to the alleged holding and pulling, rather than knees themselves.
In an October 18 Instagram statement, the manager said that restriction had been explained before the fight, with additional warnings about clinching and catching kicks given inside the competition area. "This is not Muay Thai; it is a kickboxing match," the manager wrote. The team requested a video review and a formal explanation of the alleged violations and refereeing.
A second statement that evening expanded the complaint beyond the first knockdown. The manager alleged a second similar incident occurred before the stoppage and that neither drew a warning. The team posted footage, images and material identified as "ONE CHAMPIONSHIP THE GLOBAL KICKBOXING RULE SET (CAGE)," asking officials to judge the incidents against the written rules rather than previous examples.
Chatri Calls Finish Clean Before Reviewing Footage
ONE chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong offered a different initial assessment when questioned after the event. He acknowledged he had not yet reviewed the footage but said he believed the finish was clean, reasoning that the knee traveled straight through to the head regardless of whether Haggerty's hand touched it.
That was an initial assessment, not a completed review of the team's allegations. Akimoto did not attend the post-fight interview room. His manager said hospital examinations diagnosed a fractured nasal bone and a cut at the bridge of his nose. In the follow-up statement, the team said he remained focused on treatment and recovery while it sought a rules-based judgment from ONE's officials.
