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Ahead of his epic world title bout at ONE 169, Jacob Smith says he draws a lot of inspiration from Liam Harrison's legendary Muay Thai career.
The 32-year-old Brit faces a daunting task this November 8th when he challenges the long-reigning ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion, 'The Iron Man' Rodtang Jitmuangnon, at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Thailand.
Amidst another intense fight week, Smith sat down with ONE Championship a few days ago to reflect upon his career as a life-long underdog in Muay Thai.
Although Smith is a lot more resilient than most people give him credit for, he admits that nothing inspires him the most, more than following in the footsteps of UK Muay Thai legends like 'The Hitman', Liam Harrison.
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"Liam was my idol from when I entered the sport. I watched Liam a lot. I tried to replicate his style. He was always someone I really looked up to, and for me to then become a teammate of his was amazing."
Liam Harrison retired from Muay Thai following his loss to Seksan at ONE 168 in Denver, Colorado. But he continues to coach and mentor athletes at the Bad Company Thai Boxing Gym in his hometown of Leeds.
So with Harrison in Smith's corner, there's no reason to feel fear ahead of his rematch with 'The Iron Man'.
ONE 169 airs live in North America via Prime Video.
"It's an amazing feeling to give people hope" - Jacob Smith says he enjoys coaching Muay Thai to young people
Jacob Smith may be tough on the outside, but he's soft on the inside. The Birkenhead native was overjoyed when he finally opened the doors to his new Muay Thai facility.
Both he and his wife always talked about opening their dream gym, and now that it has taken off, it's where they dedicate most of their time. The kids who have signed up are all eager to learn and grow, so Smith is incredibly grateful to be that role model that they want to look up to.
Speaking to ONE, he explained:
"I'm aware of the impact I can have, but I'm still a roughneck at heart. It's an amazing feeling to give people hope."
Check out Jacob Smith's Thai Fist CIC family below:
