ONE Championship: Liam Harrison happy for ‘friend’ Masaaki Noiri’s victory over dangerous Tawanchai: “He’s a really nice guy”

Liam Harrison happy for ‘friend’ Masaaki Noiri’s victory over dangerous Tawanchai: “He’s a really nice guy”

Modified Apr 15, 2025 08:46 GMT

Masaaki Noiri, Liam Harrison, Tawanchai PK Saenchai - Photo by ONE Championship — Masaaki Noiri, Liam Harrison, Tawanchai PK Saenchai [Images courtesy: ONE Championship]

While English Muay Thai icon and ONE Championship veteran 'Hitman' Liam Harrison of the United Kingdom had picked Thai star Tawanchai PK Saenchai to beat Japanese veteran Masaaki Noiri at the recently concluded ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang last month, he didn't expect the latter to win in devastating fashion.

Noiri shocked the world with a third-round annihilation of Tawanchai at ONE 172 to capture the ONE interim featherweight kickboxing world title, winning via technical knockout.

Harrison says he's close friends with the Japanese star and was happy to see him get such a huge win.

Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more

Speaking to veteran MMA reporter Nick Atkin in a recent interview on YouTube, 'Hitman' said:

"I said yesterday, I’m friends with Noiri - he’s a really nice guy and I’m glad that he did win that fight because when he came to ONE he had just a rough time them first two tight fights, didn’t he?"

Needless to say, Noiri's victory over Tawanchai came as a shock to everyone, including Harrison.

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

Liam Harrison 'unretires' to face Burmese striking legend Soe Lin Oo at ONE 173: Denver

39-year-old 'Hitman' Liam Harrison was last seen in action in a losing effort to Thai veteran Seksan Or Kwanmuang in late 2024 and announced his retirement from professional competition shortly after.

But the veteran fighter has made that retirement short-lived, as he is set to step back inside the ONE Championship ring to face another big name.

Harrison is set to throw down Burmese veteran Soe Lin Oo in a three-round bantamweight Muay Thai bout.

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

Know More

Follow One Championship News, Schedule & Results at Sportskeeda.

Edited by Jigyanshushri Mahanta