Liam Harrison knows his career is winding down, and the chase for ONE Championship gold may be over. But that doesn’t mean “Hitman” is done.
At ONE 168: Denver, Harrison will compete in a 140-pound catchweight Muay Thai contest against Seksan Or Kwanmuang, in what, he says, will be a collision of pure adrenaline for fans inside Ball Arena.
“We’ve got a few game plans ready for when he goes into war mode. But, to be honest, when he starts going to war, I’ll be comfortable going to war with him. I’ll probably get told off in the corner by my coach, but I don’t really care to be honest with you,” Harrison admitted to ONE.
“At this point in my career, I’m going to do what I want to do. If I enjoy it, and the fans enjoy it, I honestly don’t care if I win or lose. I just want to get in there, enjoy myself, and make sure all the fans – everyone that has bought a ticket and everyone watching at home – get to watch two old war dogs collide in a great fight.”
The British brawler has wanted this battle for a long time. He has admired “The Man Who Yields To No One” for years and has been waiting to share the spotlight with him.
However, when the bell rings Harrison will put that admiration aside for nine minutes of intense leather exchanging.
“I just see it being one of the fights of the year. He’s one of my heroes, and I’ve always wanted to share the ring with him, so I’m going to make the most of it. Both fighters are going to put everything on the line, and the best man will win on the night,” the former bantamweight Muay Thai title challenger said.
“I know it’s going to be hard and, at times, I will get dragged into the trenches. But I’ve been there before.”
Harrison knows his style also brings risks, and he has been preparing for everything Seksan has in his arsenal.
Regardless of the returning heat coming his way, he’s heading in the ONE Circle with the intention of finishing his opposite man in highlight-reel fashion.
“I’m looking to be the first guy to knock him out in ONE Championship. Only one person has stopped Seksan before and that was years ago. No one else has come close to looking like doing it,” Harrison remarked.
“He hasn’t fought anyone who hits anywhere near as sharp and as hard as I do in ONE, and he’s been wobbled before. If he starts leaving himself wide open, I’ll just check him straight out of there. I can knock anyone out with one shot.”
“But then again, that’s how he fights. He’s willing to take shots to come forward and give it. He drowns you with pressure, so I’ve got to be careful as well. If you do wobble him, you’ve got to realize that he’s one of the toughest men on planet Earth, and you’ve got to pick your shots and not go crazy.”
“Hitman’s” clearly holds a lot of respect for Seksan, and he knows they are likely facing into a fiery slugfest in Denver.
Far from breaking down the finesse and style that he hopes to bring to the Circle, the 38-year-old battler believes that he will eventually abandon all preparation as the clock winds down.
Which should result in one of 2024’s most exhilarating matches.
“He has horrible elbows. The angles he throws them, and he just swings in with them. If I’m not careful, and I just start swinging all over trying to get rid of him, that’s when he ends up putting people out and knocking them down with elbows,” Harrison stated.
“He’s got a lot of dangerous weapons. He’ll throw in all kinds of stuff. I will have to be switched on for the entire fight to make sure that I don’t get caught with anything stupid from him.”
“But, like I said, I probably will get caught with all kinds of stupid stuff. So there’ll be a point where my game plan goes out of the window, and we just go for it.”
ONE 168: Denver airs live and free on Prime Video on Friday, Sep. 6, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Remaining tickets for the event are on sale now via Ticketmaster.