“He wants to make a name for himself” - Liam Harrison refuses to be a stepping stone for upset-seeking Katsuki Kitano
Liam Harrison is nobody's stepping stone.
For the first time in nearly two years, fight fans will see the 'Hitman' step back inside the Circle for a showdown with Japanese standout Katsuki Kitano at ONE 167 on Friday, June 7. The event will emanate from the iconic Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, and air exclusively on Amazon Prime Video in both the United States and Canada.
After Kitano delivered an exceptional showing in his promotional debut at ONE Friday Fights 38, Harrison expects the 25-win veteran to come in hot and look to make a statement in his sophomore appearance.
However, Liam Harrison does not intend to let another fight make a name for themselves at his expense.
“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," Harrison said in a recent interview with ONE Championship.
The question is, will the 38-year-old Harrison be able to keep up with the young and hungry prospect, particularly after undergoing extensive knee surgery?
Liam Harrison fought like hell to come back from a horrifying knee injury
After going down in the opening round of his ONE world title fight against Nong-O Hama with a horrific knee injury, Harrison revealed the extent of the damage saying he had torn his meniscus, ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), and MCL (medial collateral ligament).
Struggling just to get out of bed anymore, Harrison thought his career could very well be over. But he wasn't willing to give up that easily. Every day, he crawled out of bed and took himself to the gym, doing whatever he could to stay in shape.
In the end, the hard work paid off as Harrison returned to 100% health, even suggesting that he's hitting harder now than he ever did before.
"Everything's coming back. My timing's coming back," Harrison told Sportskeeda MMA. "My power's back, too. It never left, to be honest. I feel like I'm hitting harder than I was before because I've been working so much on different stuff while I was injured."
ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch ONE 167 live and for free via Amazon Prime Video in U.S. primetime on Friday, June 7.