On February 20, 2025, ONE Championship returned to Qatar for the second time since March 2024. In the co-main event, Jonathan Haggerty defended his ONE kickboxing world title against the former WLF and K-1 world champion, Wei Rui.
Ilias Ennahachi was originally scheduled to face Petchtanong in a title contender match-up. However, Ennahachi missed weight then withdrew from the fight after failing his medical exams.
HAGGERTY VS. RUI
The bout began with Haggerty landing kicks to Wei Rui's rear arms early on, while Wei Rui responded with low kicks of his own. Haggerty attempted to target Wei Rui's legs, but many of his leg kicks were checked. Throughout the first round, Wei Rui found success with punch combinations, creating openings for body kicks that landed cleanly.
In the following round, Haggerty came out aggressively, landing head kicks and straight punches. Wei Rui attempted to answer back but struggled to find the same level of effectiveness as earlier. The General dictated most of the round's pace, though Wei Rui had some success when he targeted Haggerty’s body.
Haggerty continued to maintain control, especially with his precise right hands. The Chinese fighter looked better in the latter half of the round as he pressed forward, but Haggerty's sharp straight punches remained the most impactful strikes of the round.
As the bout entered the championship rounds, Haggerty maintained his distance and continued landing clean shots from the outside. His right hands repeatedly staggered Wei Rui, who struggled to close the distance effectively. Wei Rui tried to incorporate more creative and tricky strikes but couldn't turn the tide.
Although he managed to land some right hooks, they came too late to make a meaningful difference. Haggerty remained composed and continued to land the cleaner, more effective strikes until the final bell.
