Liam Harrison Reflects on Long Awaited Return at ONE 167 After Disastrous Knee Injury – “I Was in Pain All the Time”

British Muay Thai icon Liam “Hitman” Harrison will soon make his much-anticipated return to action when he squares off with Japanese talent Katsuki “Bong” Kitano in a bantamweight Muay Thai scrap at ONE 167: Stamp vs. Zamboanga on Prime Video.

Slated to take place on June 7 in U.S. primetime at Bangkok’s Impact Arena, that contest promises fireworks for as long as it lasts and will mark Harrison’s first fight since his unsuccessful bid for the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title back in August 2022.

Liam Harrison feels stronger with his return

At 38 years old and with well over 100 professional fights to his name, the former three-time Muay Thai World Champion has put plenty of miles on his body.

While injuries have kept him out of competition for nearly two years, “Hitman” says he used his time away wisely, focusing on his power and athleticism.

He said, “When I was injured and out for the injury, all I worked on was explosive movements and things like that. So I changed my training, changed up a lot, and I feel like I’ve come back stronger than I was before.” 

Now just a few weeks away from his return against Kitano, Harrison says it’s back to business as usual.

An all-action brawler beloved for his fearless approach to combat, the Brit is once again sparring hard in the gym and is happy to be doing what he does best.

“Hitman” has begun with his training

He’ll need to be in top shape, considering the schedule he has ahead. Win or lose against “Bong” at ONE 167, Harrison is slated to face Thai fan-favorite Seksan “The Man Who Yields To No One” Or Kwanmuang in September at ONE 168: Denver.

But for now, “Hitman” is focused on Kitano and the task at hand.

He added, “Now I’m back to training like I was before. Getting lots of hard, hard sparring rounds in because, obviously while I’ve been out with injury, that’s what I missed. So I’m getting all that locked in now. I’m sparring with some real heavy hitters, some real sharp guys, and I’m just enjoying it.” 

“I was in pain all the time. The main thing is now I’m not. And I’m enjoying it again. So it’s gonna be good to be back.”