Liam Harrison recalls his experience defeating a top Japanese fighter as a teenager

Liam Harrison shared a story about fighting in Japan earlier in his career.

Harrison had the choice of going down a dangerous path growing up or training in combat sports to avoid the streets. The Leeds native decided to train in Muay Thai, which led to a life filled with intriguing stories. ‘Hitman’ recently posted an Instagram video detailing a time he fought in Japan at a young age. He had this to say:

“The promoter called Richard and said, ‘look, we’ve got a fight in Japan in four weeks against the Japanese number one. Does Liam wanna do it?’ He said, the Japanese promoters have asked to send a strong fighter who might have a chance of knocking him out. Round one and two were close, but I think he was just edging just because of his experience, and round three, I just went like, I’m f*cking, I’m gonna go crazy just trying to knock him out…”

Liam Harrison continued by saying:

“I went out and dropped him, and I think with ten seconds left in that round, I knocked him out. I remember all the Japanese stood up and clapping, and I thought there is no drug like this on earth, and I was addicted to it. I thought this is what I want to do with my life."

Liam Harrison’s treacherous journey of fighting in different countries led to his signing with ONE Championship. After losing his first two Muay Thai fights at featherweight, ‘Hitman’ moved down to bantamweight, where he’s won two of three bouts, with his only loss coming against Nong-O Hama for the world championship last time out.

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What’s next for Liam Harrison?

Liam Harrison’s loss against Nong-O Hama led to more than a blemish on his record. The 37-year-old suffered a severe knee injury, leading to surgery several months later. ‘Hitman’ is now in the recovery process, but he plans to fight before the end of the year.

Once Harrison returns, he will be focused on getting back on track to another shot at the world title. ONE Championship announced a monumental Openweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix earlier this year, which would also be an intriguing path for ‘Hitman’ to take. However, Liam Harrison has already ruled out taking part in the tournament.

The British striker believes he still has plenty left in the tank, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him be more active in competition upon his return as he aims to reach 100 career wins.