Liam Harrison has a singular advice for Takeru Segawa following his heartbreaking defeat in Japan.
The Japanese kickboxing legend suffered a stunning one-shot knockout against Rodtang Jitmuangnon in their flyweight kickboxing super fight at ONE 172 in March at the historic Saitama Super Arena.
In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Harrison said he saw how ridiculously hard Takeru trains for his fights.
Harrison added that while Takeru has always favored hard sparring sessions, he advised the Japanese superstar to tone it down since it could lead to a lower performance during fights.
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He said:
"If he is thinking about retiring, bit of an easier fight, let him say goodbye that way. But if he is going to stick around, I think he has to stop these f***ing crazy sparring sessions and stop taking all this brain trauma because it can’t be good for him."
Liam Harrison is no stranger to going full throttle in his training camps, but the 39-year-old won't go overboard when he sparred with his training partners.
It can also be noted that Harrison trained for years in Thailand, where he saw Thai fighters go as lightly as possible during sparring when preparing for their fights.
Takeru, meanwhile, is known for his explosive approach to training and would sometimes go at a fight pace during his sparring sessions.
Watch Harrison's entire interview below:
Liam Harrison says he'll regret staying in retirement if he knew he could still fight at the highest level
Liam Harrison wants to leave the sport with as minimal regret as possible.
The multi-time Muay Thai and kickboxing world champion initially announced his retirement after losing to Seksan in their 140-pound catchweight match at ONE 168: Denver in September 2024.
That retirement lasted mere months, and Harrison is back in the fold when he takes on Burmese slugger Soe Lin Oo at ONE 173: Denver on August 1 at Ball Arena.
In an interview with Nick Atkin, 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."