Katsuki Kitano has a golden ticket to push his stock to unseen levels when he comes up against a true striking legend in his next ONE Championship outing. 

The Japanese star is set to square off against Liam “Hitman” Harrison in a bantamweight Muay Thai match at ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II on Friday, June 7, inside the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand. 

Katsuki Kitano expresses his feeling about fighting Liam Harrison

Kitano improved his record to 25-10 after a successful debut in the promotion at ONE Friday Fights 38 last October, and he did his part in putting the spotlight on Japanese martial arts in the process.

However, a win against a globally recognized athlete on a stage the world will be watching could elevate him and the striking scene in his country to significant levels, so it was an offer the 28-year-old couldn’t turn down.

“Since he’s a big name, if I can beat him, this is a great opportunity. I’ve known about him for a long time, and I saw my senior Yamato Tetsuya fight him before, so when I got the offer, I thought, ‘Wow, it’s my turn now.’ I decided I’d go for it wholeheartedly,” Kitano said. 

“He’s a big name, so it really motivates me.”

Harrison is a veteran of over 100 fights, and he has collected prestigious accolades all around the globe. 

Kitano needs to be wary of the Brit’s kicks

The Brit rode the wave of back-to-back knockout wins right into his first attempt at ONE gold against Nong-O Hama back in August 2022. Unfortunately, he would suffer a devastating injury in the first round of their battle, leading him to be sidelined ever since.

With his return nearly two years in the making, Kitano knows he’ll be facing a hungry “Hitman” – one who’ll have every weapon ready to score a win.

But the Sheisikai Gym product understands where his strength will lie in their battle at ONE 167, and he’ll be ready to capitalize on them when the bell rings. 

“I need to watch out for his low kicks. And I think he’s faster than I expected, so I have to be careful about that,” Kitano said.

“His weakness is that I have the reach advantage over him. But still, I don’t think he has any openings. I’m training hard to make sure I win.”