ONE Championship: “I thought Tawanchai could beat him” - Liam Harrison got his Tawanchai vs Masaaki Noiri prediction completely wrong

“I thought Tawanchai could beat him” - Liam Harrison got his Tawanchai vs Masaaki Noiri prediction completely wrong

Modified Apr 15, 2025 08:42 GMT

Tawanchai PK Saenchai, Liam Harrison, Masaaki Noiri - Photo by ONE Championship

English Muay Thai icon and ONE Championship veteran 'Hitman' Liam Harrison of the United Kingdom admits he read the Masaaki Noiri vs. Tawanchai matchup at the recently concluded ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang last month completely wrong.

One of the most astute students of the 'art of eight limbs', Harrison predicted the highly anticipated showdown to be close, but he didn't think the Japanese star could pull off such an explosive upset.

Noiri ended up stopping Tawanchai in the third round to capture the ONE interim featherweight kickboxing world title in epic fashion, much to the shock of everyone watching.

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Speaking to veteran MMA reporter Nick Atkin on YouTube, Harrison had this to say about the fight and what he thought about it:

"I thought Tawanchai could beat him on points, but I thought it would be a really hard fight for him because I know Noiri is tough as nails. And he’s awkward and he comes forward doing like them horrible kick, calf kicks, and stuff like that."

Needless to say, Harrison was just as surprised as fans were.

ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang went down live from the iconic Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, on Sunday, March 23rd. Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action via replay on-demand on watch.onefc.com.

Liam Harrison returns from brief retirement to take on Burmese icon Soe Lin Oo at ONE 173: Denver

39-year-old 'Hitman' Liam Harrison thought that after losing to Seksan Or Kwanmuang last year, that he was done with competing altogether.

But somehow, the veteran fighter now finds himself heeding the call of the ring once more, as he 'unretires' to face another big legend.

Harrison is set to face Burmese icon Soe Lin Oo in a three-round bantamweight Muay Thai contest.

The two lock horns at ONE 173: Denver, which is set to take place live from the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, on Friday, August 1.

Fans in the United States and Canada can visit ONE Championship's official website for more information on how to watch.

About the author

Dan is an MMA writer with 10+ years of overall experience. Before his ongoing tenure at Sportskeeda, Dan got the opportunity to be at the forefront of the sport by contributing to ONE Championship and Fight Game Asia. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology.

Dan’s connection to MMA started during the early days of the UFC and ONE Championship. He previously practiced boxing and ranks Demetrious Johnson, Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones, and Fedor Emelianenko as the top five MMA fighters of all time.

He has covered several events onsite and on the ground for ONE Championship and hopes to continue doing so. He ensures that he churns out accurate articles by citing only legitimate sources and getting firsthand accounts through exclusive interviews whenever required.

Dan feels MMA fighter pay seems like an issue because it often gets compared to what fighters earn in boxing but that MMA will eventually catch up in the future.

His other interests include soccer and video games.

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Edited by C. Naik