From Controversy to Champions: Sidekick Boxing’s Journey with Andrew Tate and Jonathan Haggerty

Sidekick Andrew Tate and Jonathan HaggertyThe founder of Sidekick Boxing Daniel Knight has had a formative relationship with outspoken athlete Andrew Tate. Knight, who…

Sidekick Andrew Tate and Jonathan Haggerty

The founder of Sidekick Boxing Daniel Knight has had a formative relationship with outspoken athlete Andrew Tate. Knight, who started Sidekick Boxing in 2010, initially sponsored Tate when he was a rising star in the kickboxing world. Despite the risks associated with Tate’s polarizing personality, Knight saw an opportunity to leverage Tate’s charisma and ability to generate buzz to elevate the Sidekick brand.

Andrew Tate and Sidekick

Andrew Tate, a controversial figure known for his kickboxing and social media presence, got his start with Sidekick and a pair of boxing gloves from the brand. Eventually, he found success with Full-contact kickboxing. The partnership between Knight and Tate lasted about four years. During this time, Tate was the main sponsored fighter for Sidekick Boxing. Knight described Tate as easy to talk to, noting that they quickly became friends.

However, the relationship eventually soured due to difficulties working with Andrew Tate’s team, who allegedly employed unprofessional tactics, such as asking other promoters not to work with Knight and having Tate block him on Twitter.

Despite these challenges, Knight acknowledges the significant impact Tate had on his business. Videos featuring Tate, which initially did not gain much traction, have since garnered hundreds of thousands or even millions of views due to Tate’s rise to fame. Knight credits this exposure with helping his business thrive, stating that Tate’s engagement brought significant attention to Sidekick Boxing.

Knight’s perspective on Tate is nuanced. While he does not agree with many of Tate’s controversial opinions, he recognizes Tate’s ability to create reactions and generate viral content. Knight also notes that Tate was ahead of his time in understanding how to make videos go viral, a skill that has since become widespread among influencers.

Knight appreciates certain aspects of Tate’s message, particularly those encouraging young men to take control of their lives, prioritize fitness, and strive for continuous improvement. He sees some value in Tate’s discussions about masculinity, despite the polarizing nature of these topics. However, Knight does not fully subscribe to Tate’s more extreme ideas, such as the concept of the “matrix” controlling people’s lives.

Haggerty

Jonathan Haggerty

Moving on from the Full-Contact style kickboxer Andrew Tate, Sidekick boxing is now working with the Muay Thai and Kickboxing world champion Jonathan Haggerty. The UK’s Haggerty is a two-sport king brandishing multiple world titles in ONE Championship, capturing both by way of stunning knockout.

Jonathan haggerty

The collaboration with Haggerty highlights the fighter’s achievements and also underscores Sidekick Boxing’s commitment to being a significant player in the combat sports industry by backing top-tier talent.

Jonathan Haggerty, with the backing of Sidekick Boxing, will next face Superlek Kiatmoo9 at ONE 168. The Thai-born Superlek is a top-ranked pound-for-pound talent in Muay Thai going up in weight to challenge for Haggery’s world title. The championship match goes down on September 6.

Jonathan Haggerty KOs Felipe Lobo in early Fight of the Year contender – ONE Fight Night 19 Highlights

Jonathan HaggertyJonathan Haggerty retained his ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world championship in an early Fight of the Year contender against…

Jonathan Haggerty

Jonathan Haggerty retained his ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world championship in an early Fight of the Year contender against Brazilian knockout artist Felipe Lobo at ONE Fight Night 19 on Prime Video.

Haggerty looked to take control of the ring and create distance with his signature push kick from the get-go, but it was just a matter of time before the ‘Demolition Man’ would find his way inside and explode. That’s exactly what Lobo did, delivering an onslaught of strikes to the head and body of the defending champ in the second half of the opening round.

A sneaky uppercut finally put Haggerty on the mat with less than a minute to go in the first, but ‘The General’ answered the count and pressed on.

In the second, Haggerty and Lobo threw caution to the wind, delivering one of the most incredible rounds in combat sports history. Both men blasted the other with fight-ending bombs, but neither man would go down. In the end, Haggerty managed to send Lobo crashing to the canvas with a counter left that hit his opponent on the button.

With the fight likely tied after two rounds, Haggerty decided he’d had enough and uncorked a nasty overhand right less than a minute into the third that put Felipe Lobo away for good.

Official Result: Jonathan Haggerty def. Felipe Lobo via KO (overhand right) at 0:45 of Round 3 to retain the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world championship.

Check Out Highlights from Jonathan Haggerty vs. Felipe Lobo at ONE Fight Night 19:

Jonathan Haggerty’s brother, Freddie Haggerty, scores brutal 2nd round KO in ONE Championship debut – ONE Friday Fights 49 Highlights

Jonathan Haggerty and Freddie HaggertyFreddie Haggerty made a big first impression in his ONE Championship debut. Haggerty, who is the younger brother of…

Jonathan Haggerty and Freddie Haggerty

Freddie Haggerty made a big first impression in his ONE Championship debut.

Haggerty, who is the younger brother of reigning two-sport ONE world champion Jonathan Haggerty, made his promotional debut as part of the ONE Friday Fights 49 card inside Bangkok’s legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium. Squaring off with 50-win Muay Khao veteran Dankalong Sor Dechapan, Haggerty appeared to struggle with the range, eating a series of stiff jabs in the early going. But it didn’t take long for the 19-year-old to close the distance and light up his opponent with some vicious inside elbows.

Near the end of the opening round, Haggerty landed a right elbow against the ropes followed by a flurry of strikes that sent Dankalong crashing to the canvas. The Thai answered the count and got back to his feet just as the bell sounded, signifying the end of the first.

Haggerty picked up right where he left off in the second, quickly catching a kick from Dankalong and countering with a right followed by a left that landed flush. With his opponent staggered, Haggerty unleashed another right-left combo that put Dankalong down for the count.

Official Result: Freddie Haggerty def. Dankalong Sor Dechapan via KO (strikes) at 0:14 of Round 2.

Haggerty earned a ?350,000 bonus ($10,000) from ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong for his impressive promotional debut. He moved to 20-4-1 overall with the victory.

Check Out Highlights From Freddie Haggerty’s ONE Championship Debut:

Jonathan Haggerty Captures Second ONE World Title with vicious KO of Fabricio Andrade – ONE Fight Night 16 Highlights

Jonathan HaggertyIn the ONE Fight Night 16 main event, Jonathan Haggerty returned to the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok…

Jonathan Haggerty

In the ONE Fight Night 16 main event, Jonathan Haggerty returned to the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok seven months removed from his stunning first-round knockout of Nong-O Hama to claim the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world championship.

On Friday night, ‘The General’ sought to add another ONE world title to his collection, competing for the vacant ONE bantamweight kickboxing crown. Meeting him in the middle of the ring was the current ONE bantamweight MMA titleholder, Fabricio Andrade, who had sights on becoming the first fighter in ONE history to carry titles in kickboxing and mixed martial arts simultaneously.

Jonathan Haggerty went to work right out of the gate, showing off his impressive speed and combinations. Nevertheless, Andrade was determined to move forward and put pressure on his opponent, but ‘The General’ continued to light him up with a plethora of strikes that ‘Wonder Boy’ had no answer for.

Near the halfway point of the second round, Haggerty uncorked a head kick that connected clean and had Andrade on wobbly legs. Smelling blood in the water, ‘The General’ moved in and unleashed a series of strikes that had ‘Wonder Boy’ running for his life. In the end, the onslaught was too much for Andrade to endure and he eventually hit the canvas.

Andrade attempted to answer the referee’s eight-count, but was unable to recover in time, forcing the stoppage with little over a minute left in the round.

Official Result: Jonathan Haggerty def. Fabricio Andrade via KO (head kick and follow-up strikes) at 1:57 of Round 2 to capture the ONE bantamweight kickboxing world championship.

Check Out Highlights From Jonathan Haggerty vs. Fabricio Andrade at ONE Fight Night 16 Below:

ONE Muay Thai Champion Jonathan Haggerty Lists Best Strikers In The UFC

Jonathan Haggerty recently revealed his picks for who he believes are the top strikers in the UFC. Over the course of UFC history, a multitude of elite strikers have etched their names into the sport’s legacy. Icons like Anderson Silva, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovi?, and José Aldo not only defined their eras but revolutionized the […]

Continue Reading ONE Muay Thai Champion Jonathan Haggerty Lists Best Strikers In The UFC at MMA News.

Jonathan Haggerty recently revealed his picks for who he believes are the top strikers in the UFC.

Over the course of UFC history, a multitude of elite strikers have etched their names into the sport’s legacy. Icons like Anderson Silva, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovi?, and José Aldo not only defined their eras but revolutionized the art of striking.

However, the current generation of fighters has evolved alongside the ever-changing landscape of mixed martial arts, showcasing even more refined and diverse striking repertoires.

As a reigning ONE bantamweight Muay Thai and kickboxing champion with elite striking prowess, it’s no surprise that Haggerty keeps a close eye on the sport. His expertise gives him a sharp understanding of the top fighters in the world’s premier MMA organization, making his opinions on striking particularly insightful…

Haggerty Says Strikers Are Best Suited For UFC Championships

During a recent interview with talkSPORT MMA, Haggerty was asked to share who he believes are the most elite strikers to ever grace the UFC Octagon. “The General” wasted no time in naming former middleweight king Israel Adesanya, former strawweight champion Joanna J?drzejczyk, and former flyweight titleholder Valentina Shevchenko, alongside a list of other accomplished UFC champions.

“I think the strikers are mainly all the champions,” Haggerty said. “I quite like Adesanya. Joanna J?drzejczyk, she was great. Valentina Shevchenko, she was an amazing fighter. Alex Pereira, you know, he’s very lethal. I think being a stand-up striker, all the fights start on their feet, so we get the head start, really. I think Sean O’Malley’s there as well.”

He also went on to say that if he had to choose one MMA champion across promotions who he’d like to challenge for the belt, it would be UFC’s bantamweight king O’Malley.

However, “The General” did mention that he is very happy at ONE Championship, where he is preparing to defend his bantamweight Muay Thai title in a highly anticipated showdown against the current ONE flyweight kickboxing champion, Superlek, in the main event of ONE 168: Denver this weekend.

Haggerty is riding the momentum of an impressive seven-fight win streak, with his only two setbacks in his ONE Championship career coming at the hands of the formidable Rodtang Jitmuangnon.

Continue Reading ONE Muay Thai Champion Jonathan Haggerty Lists Best Strikers In The UFC at MMA News.