“You’d fight your best during those times” – Liam Harrison says fear brings out a fighter’s best performance

Liam Harrison may have built a reputation as one of the most barbaric fighters across Muay Thai over the past two decades, but the Leeds legend says it's all down to fighting with a bit of fear.

Though the English striking icon barely shows any signs of panic or anxiousness whenever he fights, the 38-year-old revealed that fighting with a bit of terror is one of the main reasons why he has been able to do what he has done throughout his glittering career.

Speaking on a recent episode of the Caffeine & Canines podcast, Liam Harrison likened the feeling to having his ‘Spider-Sense’ tingling whenever he fights.

The ‘Hitman’ said:

“I mean, like your Spider-Sense kind of thing, yeah, because if you're not, you're gonna get flattened. I've had loads of fights where I think, ‘Oh this one’s gonna be easy’, and then you get the fear a little bit, and then I'm nervous here and there when you're off certain fights like that. I always find that you'd fight your best during those times.”

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Perhaps one clear evidence to back his belief was his 2022 Fight of the Year victory over Muangthai PK Saenchai at ONE 156 inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium in April last year.

Having suffered two successive knockdowns in the space of 15 seconds, Liam Harrison was on wobbly feet as the PK Saenchai Muay Thai Gym athlete stepped forward in an attempt to finish off the multi-time Muay Thai world champion.

However, the Bad Company representative had other ideas. He burst into life with his usual marauding style, sent the Thai on the canvas thrice, and picked up a monumental win that earned him a shot at ONE gold.

Though he suffered an injury to Nong-O, which has kept him on the sidelines throughout the year, ‘Hitman’ aims to bounce back early next year and make another charge to the top.