"Everything’s just a lot better about him" - Liam Harrison says Jacob Smith's improvements could be a threat for Rodtang

Jacob Smith may not be as popular in ONE Championship as Rodtang Jitmuangnon is, but Liam Harrison believes that his training partner will surprise a lot of people with how good he is.

Smith will battle Rodtang in a quarterfinal matchup of the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix at ONE 157: Petchmorakot vs. Vienot. The event will be broadcast live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday, May 20.

In an interview with ONE Championship, ’Hitman’ shared his observations on Smith’s vast improvements over the years.

“Jacob has improved tenfold since he moved to us a couple of years ago. I’ve never seen anyone improve so fast. That’s down to the fact that he’s obsessed with getting better, and he’s obsessed with learning,” Harrison said.

Rodtang is dubbed as ‘The Iron Man’ because of his seemingly invincible exterior. However, Harrison says that Jacob Smith is a tough guy himself.

“Before, he was always very tough, very strong, very durable, but now we’ve added a better skill set to that,” Harrison said. “Now, not only [does he] still got all the toughness and the durability, but he’s got a good skill set alongside it. His movement is better, his defense is better, his eyes are better. Everything’s just a lot better about him.”

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Liam Harrison reveals Jacob Smith’s weapons

Liam Harrison worked with Jacob Smith at Bad Company over in the UK, where he helped the 29-year-old hone his weapons.

In his interview with ONE, Harrison shared what makes Smith a dangerous opponent for Rodtang Jitmuangnon at ONE 157.

Harrison said:

“[Smith’s] got a very good low kick, it’s a snappy one. It’s very similar to mine. He’s modeled himself on my style of low kicking, so it’s very similar to that. His self-belief, as well. He honestly believes that he’s going to go in there and beat Rodtang, and that’s a powerful weapon to have. He’s going to be a very difficult man to beat.”

Two tough fighters sharing the same stage will no doubt produce a fight to remember, and Liam Harrison is looking forward to their exciting matchup.

“So they’re his main weapons: the good low kick, the pressure, the toughness, and alongside that the movement and defensive stuff. And he’s quite heavy-handed, so it’s going to be a really good fight. I’m really looking forward to watching it,” he said.