Liam Harrison promises return to old form: “I’m back”

It has been a long road back to full recovery for Liam Harrison after a career-threatening setback almost two years ago.

The British legend makes his triumphant return, facing off against Katsuki Kitano in a bantamweight Muay Thai clash at ONE 167 on Prime Video. This U.S. primetime card airs live from the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 7.

“The Hitman” hasn’t competed since he suffered a knee injury during his ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title bout against then-champion Nong-O Hama in August 2022.

In that matchup, Harrison tore his ACL, MCL, and meniscus, leaving him with no other choice but to surrender a TKO loss to the Thai superstar.

His predicament raised questions about his future in the sport. However, he didn’t let it define him.

“I’m back to training like I was before. Getting lots of hard, hard sparring rounds in because, obviously while I’ve been out with injury, that’s what I missed,” Harrison said.

Following surgery to repair his damaged knee, Harrison confronted a new opponent — rehabilitation.

This demanded patience, discipline, and commitment. The three-time Muay Thai World Champion understood the importance of respecting his body’s healing process and diligently followed his doctor’s orders.

“When I was injured and out for the injury, all I worked on was explosive movements and things like that. So I changed my training, changed up a lot, and I feel like I’ve come back stronger than I was before,” he said.

Now, the 38-year-old is immersed in the daily hustle once again, relishing every moment.

“I’m getting all that locked in now. I’m sparring with some real heavy hitters, some real sharp guys, and I’m just enjoying it,” he said.

“I was in pain all the time. The main thing is now I’m not. And I’m enjoying it again. So it’s gonna be good to be back.”

Liam Harrison credits support system on road to recovery

Moments of doubt troubled Liam Harrison along the way, leading to brief thoughts of retirement.

However, Harrison’s passion for Muay Thai and the unwavering support of his inner circle kept him focused.

“It was very hard mentally to come back from this, especially as an older athlete. I had to push the boundaries of my mental strength,” he admitted.

“Luckily, I had a great rehab team behind me and great support from my family and friends.”