Liam Harrison knew the thought of missing out on one final run would've gnawed at his psyche in the future.
The British superstar is coming off a short-lived retirement when he takes on Burmese hard man Soe Lin Oo in a bantamweight Muay Thai showdown at ONE 173: Denver on August 1 at Ball Arena.
In an interview with Nick Atkin, Harrison detailed why he decided to end his retirement and return to ONE Championship for one last dance at the highest level.
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Liam Harrison said:
"The thing is as well, if I look back and when I get to like 44, 45, and I look back and think “f*** me, I still could have done it then, why didn’t I just get in and have a few more fights?” because I won’t be able to do it then, I can do it now. I know I can do it."
Harrison decided to leave the sport following his loss to Thai legend Seksan at ONE 168: Denver in September 2024.
That decision, however, lasted mere months, and Harrison was back in action in March this year when he knocked out Isaac Araya for the WBC Muay Thai Diamond belt in Manchester, England.
Harrison now begins his march back to the Circle for the first part of his final run in ONE Championship at the same venue where he initially announced his departure from the sport.
ONE 173 is ONE Championship's third live event in the United States, with tickets now available at Ticketmaster.
Watch Harrison's entire interview below:
Liam Harrison admits looking up to two legends as his inspiration
Liam Harrison's legendary status is already set in stone, but he admitted that there are two icons he looks up to heading into the final chapter of his career.
In an interview with the South China Morning Post, the 39-year-old Harrison credited fellow legends Nieky Holzken and Sam-A Gaiyanghadao, both fighters being 41 years old, as his inspiration to keep fighting at the highest level.
"I'm looking at guys like Holzken and Sam-A, and they’re still flying, do you know what I mean? And they’re older than me."