Liam Harrison promises “to hurt” Katsuki Kitano in return at ONE 167

Liam Harrison hopes to steal the show when he returns to action in U.S. primetime.

This happens at ONE 167 on Prime Video, emanating live from the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, June 7. There, he takes on Katsuki Kitano in a bantamweight Muay Thai clash.

It has been a long road back for “The Hitman” since he suffered a devastating knee injury in an August 2022 bout against then-champion Nong-O Hama.

Now, the British legend aims to remind the world of his prowess in “the art of eight limbs.”

“I’m looking forward to getting in there and turning the clocks back, doing what I used to do a couple of years ago, and just having wild fights,” he said.

“There are questions that need to be answered. Like am I going to come back as vicious? Will I still have that knockout power? And I’m going to answer those questions with a resounding yes. I’m going to come forward, get him on his back foot, and I’m going to hurt him.”

However, he is not taking his opponent lightly.

Harrison is fully aware that Kitano left an impression when the Japanese standout made his promotional debut against Halil Kutukcu in October 2023.

As he acknowledges the challenge ahead, Harrison remains confident in his own abilities.

“He’s got quite a few good weapons, but I’m going to come, and I’m going to try and blast him straight out of there,” Harrison said.

“He’s a tough guy, and he’s a good name, he’s on a good winning streak, but he’s in my way. I wanna come back and show the fans that I’ve still got what it takes to hang at the top level.”

Liam Harrison treats comeback fight as must-win

For Katsuki Kitano, this bout is a golden opportunity because defeating a fighter of Liam Harrison’s caliber would be a significant milestone in his professional career.

Nevertheless, Harrison doesn’t want to be a mere footstool for the Japanese striker.

“I know [Kitano] is going to be dangerous, and I know he’s going to want to make a name for himself off of my back,” he said.

“That’s the risk when you’re fighting some up-and-coming fighter – they want to take your scalp because it’ll propel them into stardom. So obviously, he’s got a lot on the line, but I’ve got a lot on the line as well.”