MMA Knockout

Exclusive: Liam Harrison Promises "Ridiculous Fight" in Return at ONE 168

"Hitman" discussed his return fight, retirement, and the state of Muay Thai in ONE Championship ahead of ONE 168.

Drew Beaupre

(ONE Championship)

It’s been more than two years since fans last saw Liam Harrison compete, and MMA KO’s Drew Beaupré recently caught up with “Hitman” ahead of his return against Seksan at ONE 168 on September 6.

Preparing For Denver

Set to to take place at Ball Arena in Denver, CO, ONE 168 is a stacked event that features ONE Championship’s signature mix of martial arts bouts with MMA, grappling, and 4 oz. Muay Thai action all scheduled for the card.

Denver’s high altitude (5,280 feet above sea level) presents a significant challenge for many fighters, but even though he’s been doing his training camp at home Harrison has taken steps to prepare himself for the unique environment.

“I’m in Leeds, I've got all my team around me here. I’m doing all my camp here. I know Denver’s a high-altitude place. I’ve been doing 3 or 4 times a week in the altitude chamber here, and I’ve been actually getting them to set the altitude higher than what Denver is. So when I do get to Denver it ain’t gonna be too much of a shock for the couple of days of training I do there, and obviously in the fight. So I know what to expect.”

"Am I Ever Gonna Be Able To Come Back From This?"

Harrison hasn't competed since a 2022 loss to Nong-O at ONE Fight Night 1 in a bout for the Thai legend’s ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai belt, which came together after the 38-year-old old earned a title shot with back-to-back first-round knockouts.

It’s been a long road back to action for “Hitman”, as he’s had to deal with injuries and surgery before his original return fight in June opposite Katsuki Kitano was unfortunately scrapped on weigh-in day.

Exclusive: Liam Harrison Promises "Ridiculous Fight" in Return at ONE 168
Harrison (right) in his last fight against Nong-O at ONE Fight Night 1 in Singapore. /

“It’s tough to take injuries in your stride, especially one as horrendous as the one I got. It could have been a career-ender for many fighters. It was close to being a career-ender for me, because obviously I’m in the twilight of my career and I’m thinking ‘Am I ever gonna be able to come back from this?’… But I had a great rehab team around me, I had great friends around me, great family around me. They all stuck by me when I [was] at my lowest, and they helped pick me up from there.”

“The last fight in June – that [was] unfortunate. But listen, human error happens and things happen sometimes…It is what it is, the boss [Chatri Sityodtong] came through and he saved all that. But just really looking forward to this fight now.”

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Fighting In The United States

The matchup with Seksan at ONE 168 will mark Harrison's third time fighting in the United States, and his first bout on U.S. soil in nearly 10 years.

The decorated striker has been with ONE Championship since 2019, and he’s excited to compete in Denver on the massive stage that the promotion is providing for Muay Thai fighters.

“I fought in New York in 2010, and L.A. in 2015. But obviously this is a much bigger stage, this is ONE Championship. This is the pinnacle. It’s gonna be shown on Prime over in America, it’s on Sky Sports in the UK. This is massive. It’s a shame it’s coming at the twilight of my career, all these massive shows and that. Because if I was still in my 20s, when I [was] in my prime, when I [was] in my pomp, I’d love it to be getting on Sky Sports… What [ONE Championship has] done for Muay Thai for me though is amazing. They’ve got Muay Thai fighters now getting treated like superstars. And it’s how we deserve to be treated, ‘cause for me this is the most exciting and the best sport on the planet.”

"One Fight At A Time"

“Hitman” is open about the fact that he’s closer to the end of his career than he is to the beginning. Retirement is something that's certainly been weighing on his mind as he prepares to return for the first time in more than two years, but for now Harrison is focused on enjoying every moment leading up to ONE 168.

“One fight at a time. I just don’t wanna put any pressure on myself, I’m not gonna start saying ‘Right, I’m gonna win this fight then we’ll do that fight and we’ll win this.’ Just gonna do one fight at a time…And if it is the last, then I want to enjoy the build to it, I want to enjoy the fight week, I want to enjoy the weight cut – even though that’s horrible – I just want to enjoy every single thing about it. And that’s all I’m gonna do. No pressure, I’m just here for a good time and to fight my hardest and entertain the crowd.”

Matchup With Seksan

Facing another Muay Thai legend in his long-awaited return, “Hitman” is ready to put on a show for the Denver crowd and the fans watching around the world when he finally gets back into action opposite Seksan.

“I think it’s gonna be an absolutely ridiculous fight, [Seksan] is one of my heroes. He has been for many years. He’s a warlord, he always fights hard. His heart is ridiculous. His toughness is ridiculous. His fighting style is insane. So you put two guys together like me and him and you mix our styles together and you put us in the cage together and lock the doors for nine minutes – you’re gonna get nothing other than an explosion.”

Harrison’s fight with Seksan is part of a stacked ONE 168 card that also features a ONE Welterweight Championship grappling match between Kate Ruotolo and Mikey Musumeci before Jonathan Haggerty attempts to defends his ONE Featherweight Muay Thai title against Superlek in the night's main event.

ONE 168 is set to take place on Friday, September 6 at Ball Arena in Denver, CO. Viewers in the United States and Canada will be able to watch the event on Prime Video, while fans in the UK can catch Harrison's return and the rest of the highly-anticipated card on Sky Sports.

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Drew Beaupre
DREW BEAUPRE

Drew is an MMA writer that regularly watches regional events in addition to major promotions such as the UFC, PFL, Bellator, and ONE Championship. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023.

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