‘I’ll Try To Tear Him Apart’ – Freddie Haggerty Out To Spoil Rungruanglek’s Perfect ONE Run At The Inner Circle 30
· Yahoo Sports
Freddie Haggerty returns to action against Rungruanglek TN Muaythai at The Inner Circle 30, and the young Englishman wants this one to say plenty about where his career currently stands.
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Their strawweight Muay Thai clash in Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium serves as the curtain raiser for the Asia primetime card, available live and exclusively for subscribers at live.onefc.com this Friday, September 11.
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The Team Underground and The Knowlesy Academy athlete looks to make it back-to-back wins in 2026 after picking up an impressive unanimous decision over Yonis Anane at The Inner Circle 15 this past May.
That performance showed more technical finesse than the knockout artist who opened his ONE Championship tenure with three straight finishes, and he is eager to display more of that same growth this time around.
He said:
“I’ve worked a lot with Christian Knowles – more than I usually do on the pads. I feel like my movement has gone up a level. I’ve been doing a lot of drills that Jon (Jonathan Haggerty) does, and I’ve been trying to change my game a little bit.
“I don’t just want to stand there and brawl, but I want to try and actually develop my game by hitting and moving and creating openings and stuff like that.”
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That approach comes down to two things for Haggerty: showcasing that growth, and refusing to give Rungruanglek an easy target to load up on.
The Thai has been every bit as impressive across his own run in the promotion, sitting at a perfect 5-0 that includes three finishes. The Londoner has clearly taken note of exactly what makes him dangerous, though he has also worked out a specific plan to neutralize it.
He said:
“We’re gonna be hitting and moving, making sure we’re not there. I want to test his reactions against all my movement, then my feints, and then my power. And then as soon as we’ve got that read on him, I’ll try to tear him apart.
“His main weapon is punching. He comes in and swings. I haven’t seen much more than that. There is the odd thing, maybe a few elbows. But, other than that, he’s just a wild swinger.”
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That kind of confidence extends to how the 21-year-old envisions his hand getting raised at The Inner Circle 30.
Patience, timing, and a specific sequence of events all factor into his approach, but beneath that calculation is a fighter who fully expects to leave his dance partner on the canvas for a 25th career win.
Haggerty said:
“I can get him out of there in round two. I’ll let him come to me in round one. I’ll let him chase me, and he’ll only tire himself out. When he’s frustrated, he’s going to swing more and waste his energy.
“Then, I’ll hit and move as he comes to swing and catch him just as he comes in. I want to catch him clean on the chin – no getting up, no moving, just flat on the floor.”
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Haggerty Ready To Leave The ‘Young Kid’ Label Behind
Freddie Haggerty believes he is closing in on the coveted US$100,000 main roster contract, and few things would validate that belief faster than a highlight-reel knockout at The Inner Circle 30.
Beyond that, a statement performance would also help him shed a label he feels has followed him for far too long.
The Brit said:
“If I can go out there and put on a great knockout, I believe I’m not far at all from the contract. Also, I came into ONE Championship as a young 19-year-old kid. And I feel like I’m still seen as that young kid. I want to break that image.
“I turn 22 the week after this fight. I’m a grown man now. I’m ready to start pushing up the rankings, and then eventually secure the belt within the next year or two.”
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Landing that contract just before his birthday on September 18 would make for a fitting gift, and it reflects just how far Haggerty feels his stock has risen inside the promotion.
With that growth in mind, the Englishman has started thinking bigger, both in terms of the stages he wants to compete on and the platform he is building for himself outside martial arts’ grandest stage.
Haggerty concluded:
“It’d be a great achievement to secure the contract. I’ve seen my brother do it. He was 21 when he first fought in ONE Championship. I have fought in a big show once. Obviously, it was only a one-time thing.
“But to be able to have the opportunity to grow, not only in fighting, but in my personal brand. To just grow everything and scale this as big as it possibly can be means the world to me.”
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