"I thought I'm not gonna do it" - Liam Harrison reveals knee injury threatened to prolong his return once more
The injury and recovery process for Liam Harrison was a grueling affair that, at points, appeared to have no light at the end of the tunnel.
For every positive step back along the road to full fitness, there always seemed to be a pushback right around the corner that was waiting for the British striking icon from Leeds.
His comeback to the ring was constantly being pushed back with further complications, to the point where the striking veteran questioned whether he would have to pull the plug on his return ambitions.
Harrison kept on going, and after one last pushback earlier this year, he is finally back at ONE 167, where he will take on Katsuki Kitano.
Nearly two years on from the fight where he suffered the injury against Nong-O Hama, 'Hitman' is ready to go.
He told the ONE on SK podcast that there were points where his lack of progress appeared to point to a plan that was falling apart in front of his eyes:
"Before I was sparring hard, once a week, and then we rested for the week, only for the injury to balloon up, and I'm thinking I'm going to have to retire because if I can't manage what's happening to my body, my body's like betraying me, I thought I'm not gonna do it. I don't want to go into a fight without training."
Watch the full interview below:
You cannot doubt the will of Liam Harrison
If there's one thing that has defined Liam Harrison's incredible career in striking, it might just be his will and grit.
'Hitman' can put away opponents with clinical precision but when it is time to wade into a firefight, he does so with both barrels locked and ready to go.
This same single-minded drive is what allowed Liam Harrison to persevere through the difficult recovery period and keep on working his way towards fighting shape. His passion for fighting didn't ever fade away and that made him impossible to deny.
ONE 167 will air live from the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 7.