‘Drama, Knockdowns, Knockouts’ – Liam Harrison Predicts Blistering Bout With Muangthai
Liam Harrison is relishing the prospect of a fiery battle with Muangthai PK.Saenchai in his return to the Circle.
Harrison knows “Elbow Zombie” will charge forward and try to land his close-range weapons when they clash on the main card of ONE: Eersel vs. Sadikovic on Friday, 22 April, but he believes that strategy will backfire.
The powerful English striker knocked out Mohammed Bin Mahmoud in his last ONE Super Series outing, and he invites Muangthai to test his power in their bantamweight Muay Thai affair.
“Hitman” said:
“I’ve got to stay sharp and switched on, but it’s not like I haven’t been against anyone who’s been trying to walk forward and elbow my head off before. For him to get close enough to elbow, he’s gonna have to walk through my punches, and I’m probably one of the hardest punchers in that division.
“So, for him to get close, he’s gonna have to walk through everything that I’m throwing at him, and what I’m throwing at him is going to just be absolute venom, so good luck to him.
“In these 4-ounce MMA gloves, anyone who is just going to walk forward towards me, they’re going to have to walk into absolute hell when I start unloading my hands and my power shots.”
That mindset is exactly why fans are so excited for this clash of aggressive Muay Thai stars. They know neither man will back down, which all but guarantees fireworks.
Plus, both World Champion strikers have been away from the global stage for some time, and they’ll be looking to make a statement at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Though he can’t speak for his 28-year-old rival, “Hitman” insists he’ll return at his best.
He said:
“Two things can happen. Either Muangthai is going to come back, and he is going to be a bit off it and a bit slow, and I’ll blow his head smooth off, or he might come back in and feel younger. He might be all rested. He might be fresh. So let’s see what happens.
“What you see is what you get with me, and what you get is drama, knockdowns, knockouts. It’s going to be fireworks either way. No matter what happens, you get some sort of drama going on. You’re going to be in for a treat, but I predict I’m going to punch his lights out.”
Liam Harrison Hoping To Earn Challenge Of Nong-O
Liam Harrison has been operating at the elite level of Muay Thai for many years, winning three World Titles along the way.
However, he wants to add ONE Championship gold to his sparkling resume, which means earning a showdown against reigning ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nong-O Gaiyanghadao.
“Hitman” knows he must beat Lumpinee Muay Thai World Champion Muangthai PK.Saenchai impressively to earn that shot, and he’s motivated to make it happen.
He said:
“I want to go for the World Title fight. So yeah, it’s made me more hungry with it being this long not on the ONE stage. Obviously, I’ve fought outside of ONE and kept myself a little bit busy there, but it’s been a bit of a nightmare to be honest, training for other fights that couldn’t happen. But we’re here now, and I’m ready to put on a blistering performance.”
At 36, the Bad Company man acknowledges that he’s slowly nearing the end of his impressive career, but he still has the fire inside of him to bring the heat to the division’s legendary king.
It would be difficult to hand Nong-O his first loss in ONE, but “Hitman” has never taken the easy road, and he wants the biggest bouts while he still feels ready to deliver.
Harrison added:
“I’m getting older. I know I’m coming towards the back end of my career, and I want to get these fights in while I still feel good. At the minute I feel strong and I feel like I can give top performances.
“I’d love to go up against Nong-O. He’s incredible and he’s been one of my heroes and favorite fighters for many, many years. But if I come up against him, that will be put aside for 15 minutes, because if there’s anyone who can knock him out in these 4-ounce gloves, I think it’s me.”
