Liam “Hitman” Harrison’s ruthless and aggressive style has won him plenty of acclaim from fans around the globe. And while other fighters with the same amount of years in the game as the British striking legend have started switching styles to accommodate their physicality, “Hitman” doesn’t plan to change the approach that has made him an icon of Muay Thai and kickboxing.
His trademark left kicks and hooks have helped him deliver a feast of highlight-reel finishes throughout his two-decade career. And at ONE 156 in April, Harrison showed that his determination and skill set are still as potent as ever. That evening, the Leeds native registered one of the most incredible come-from-behind wins in combat sports history against “Elbow Zombie” Muangthai PK.Saenchai, an athlete who was on a roll inside the ONE Circle.
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Liam Harrison has stood up and earned victories even when he was taken down
Harrison was floored twice inside the opening 90 seconds. But as he had done a multitude of times over the years, the 37-year-old pulled a victory from the jaws of defeat by dropping his Thai foe three times to secure the TKO win at the 2:19 mark of the opening round.
“The thing is, that’s not the first time stuff like that’s happened to me in my career. I’ve got off the floor to win before when I’ve been knocked down heavily by Thai fighters and stuff like that,” the Bad Company fighter shared.
“But to do it on that stage with the entire world watching, on the biggest platform there is. Now I’m coming towards the back end of my career. I’m just so happy that I got to give the world that gift of that fight. Ninety seconds of absolute mayhem.”
His win over “Elbow Zombie” earned him a staggering US$100,000 performance bonus and a shot at ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nong-O Gaiyanghdao at ONE on Prime Video 1 in August. However, that highly anticipated clash ended abruptly after one of Nong-O’s kicks caused a fight-ending amount of damage to Harrison’s knee, which handed the divisional king an iconic win over “Hitman”.
Liam Harrison eyes putting up an enthralling bout after his return
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Looking back at the defeat and his year as a whole, Harrison describes it as a roller-coaster ride. He is now on the road to recovery. And once he’s ready to compete, Harrison promises to show the heart, charisma, and style that has earned him fanfare over the last 20 years.
“This sport gives you the highest highs and the lowest lows. Obviously, the Muangthai fight was about as high as you can get, and then the rest of the year for me has been a low,” he said.
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“I got injured in the Nong-O fight. Unfortunately, I think when you have 120 fights, and you fight the way I do, and you train the way I do, it was bound to happen at some point.”
“I just want to try and get this knee better, and I want to be at the level of the Muangthai fight, where I will be able to drag myself off the floor and give the fans the action they deserve.
