Following a devastating loss to Seksan at ONE 168, Muay Thai legend Liam Harrison left his gloves in the center of the cage.
With eight world championships in his trophy cabinet, ‘The Hitman’ has cemented his place as an all-time great and pioneered a new wave of fighters in his homeland.
Liam Harrison suffers devastating loss at ONE 168
On September 6, at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, USA, Liam Harrison went head-to-head with Seksan Or. Kwanmuang in a battle of two of the greatest Muay Thai practitioners to ever grace the sport.
And it’s fair to say, the fight more than lived up to the billing, with the two athletes exchanging bombs inside the cage.
The Leeds brawler started beautifully, landing thunderous leg kicks and his iconic left hook that has rendered many a man unconscious over the years.
However, as the clock ticked by, the Thai began to find his range, detonating explosive shots on his rival.
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As the pair engaged up close, Seksan snuck a right hand through the guard to send Harrison crashing towards the canvas.
However, while clearly significantly hurt, in a testament to his fighting heart, the 38-year-old climbed to his feet and began throwing with mean intentions.
But after unleashing several impressive shots, his adversary once again connected with the right hand to drop the legend for the second time.
Showcasing remarkable heart, Harrison rose once more, and continued to fight with everything he had. But after over-committing with a right hand, he left himself open to one last blow from Seksan.
While some claim the shot landed on the back of the head, the referee chose to end the contest.
Following the fight, an emotional Harrison left his gloves in the cage, signaling the end of a remarkable career.
He told ONE Championship: “I’m pretty sure you all just saw me lay my gloves down then. It’s a shame, but my body just can’t take the shots that I could in my prime, and it’s as simple as that, really.
“I’m 38-years-old. I’ll be 39 in three weeks, and I just can’t take the punishment that I could once take, and to fight in ONE Championship, against these elite-level killers, you need to be able to take the punishment—two years out of the ring, horrible injury, Father Time catching up on me.
“I thank Chatri [Sityodtong] and all the ONE guys for everything they’ve done for me, and giving me this stage to perform on at the back-end of my career.”
Will Liam Harrison ever fight again?
While many believe the sportsman has now retired from Muay Thai, in an Instagram post, he confessed that he’s open to one last dance.
He wrote: “Absolutely gutted, but truth is I can’t take the shots I could in my prime. A few years ago, I could walk through anything and had a steel chin, even walked through Anuwat’s best shots and took prime Saenchai to the wire.
“Now, after a long time out injured and an accumulation of insane fights over a 24-year career, I just can’t take the damage anymore that’s needed to fight at this level. Thank you, everyone, for your support over the years you have all been absolutely incredible. Your support has been amazing. And I love you all
“I’d like to fight one more time in the UK to say goodbye to the UK fans, and that will be my final Muay Thai fight … Thank you, @onechampionship, @yodchatri, for giving me the chance to have few insane fights on the best stage I’ve ever fought on. It’s a shame it wasn’t when I was in my prime and just caught me the wrong end of my career.
“Thank you, @seksan_or_kwanmuang999, for letting me go out swinging in a ridiculous fight against my hero … I still have the heart to always get up and fight if knocked down but just don’t have the body to go along with it because those shots definitely wouldn’t have put me down a few years ago I don’t wanna be that guy who goes totally past his sell-by date, ….Hitman out.”
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