“He’s a killer” - Liam Harrison glad to see Masaaki Noiri rediscover his lethal form in shocking upset over Tawanchai

He may have struggled in the first half of his ONE Championship career, but Masaaki Noiri ultimately proved his pedigree at the grandest stage.

While legions of his fans were glad to see Noiri capture ONE Championship gold, Liam Harrison was prouder to see his old friend rediscover that devastating magic between the ropes.

Noiri captured the biggest win of his career when he stunned Tawanchai PK Saenchai with a third-round technical knockout win to capture the ONE interim featherweight kickboxing world title at ONE 172 in March at the historic Saitama Super Arena.

In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Harrison said he was glad to see his old nemesis showcase that terrifying talent that made Masaaki Noiri one of this generation's most fearsome fighters.

"And then he came back, he snapped that guy’s leg in half, and now he’s had one of the biggest wins of his career. So yeah, I’m happy for him, because he’s a good guy, and he’s a nice guy, and he’s a killer when he’s on that form as well."

Noiri had a rough start in his ONE Championship tenure when he fell to Thai legend Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong and Liu Mengyang.

He eventually found his rhythm when he broke Shakir Al-Tekreeti's right leg in the second round of their ONE 170 matchup, which set up his interim world title match against Tawanchai.

The ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion was a heavy favorite heading into ONE 172, but Noiri shattered the pre-fight notions and broke Tawanchai in harrowing fashion.

After sending Tawachai to the canvas with a clinical left hook, Noiri ended the Thai megastar with a storm of punches that forced the referee to stop the match 1:55 into the third.

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Liam Harrison says he's always had a close friendship with Masaaki Noiri

Liam Harrison has been at the top of the fight game for nearly two decades, and he faced a younger version of Masaaki Noiri when the Japanese star was just entering his prime.

Noiri beat Harrison via TKO when they squared off at Glory 8 in 2013 in the Slam Tournament Quarterfinals.

In the same interview with the South China Morning Post, Harrison said:

"I really like Noiri. Me and him fought years ago in Japan and I’ve always been close and friendly with him. So I was happy for him that he won that fight because I obviously thought Tawanchai would cruise to a points win."

Watch Harrison's entire interview below: