Liam Harrison knew in midst of firefight with Seksan that he was done: “I know I just can't anymore”
Liam Harrison said that even before his recent fight against Seksan Or Kwanmuang came to an end, that was it for him, making it easier for him to decide to call it a career after.
'Hitman' successfully made his way back to action after two years because of a knee injury at ONE 168 in Denver, Colorado, U.S.A. on Sept. 6. The comeback, however, was not a winning one as he slumped to a second-round TKO (three knockdowns) at the hands of 'The Man Who Yields To No One'.
At the post-event press conference for ONE 168, Liam Harrison shared what went through his mind as he was absorbing all the telling hits from Seksan and he was being knocked down.
The 38-year-old Leeds native said:
"Yeah, I'll always get up if I get knocked down. But just a few years ago, those shots wouldn't have put me down. I'd have walked through them. And that's the thing I've got. The heart, in abundance, still. It's just that I haven't got the physical attributes the need to go with that. And if you can't take the damage, which you need to be able to take as much as you can get, I know I just can't anymore."
Prior to ONE 168, Liam Harrison was last in action in August 2022 when he vied for the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title against former divisional king Nong-O Hama. His title push, however, was cut short after he injured his knee in the opening round.
Replay of ONE 168: Denver matches is available on ONE Championship's YouTube page.
Liam Harrison reveals how final hit from Seksan ended it for him
Liam Harrison was knocked down thrice by Seksan Or Kwanmuang in their catchweight Muay Thai clash at ONE 168: Denver on Sept. 6. By the third hit, the Englishman said he knew the contest was already over.
The Bad Company standout shared this in the post-event press conference, highlighting how the third knockodown toppled the wheels for him in the contest.
He said:
"It was a hundred percent back of the head, but I was absolutely f**ked so it didn't matter. I didn't [know] what planet I was on. To be fair, at that point, a f**king gust of wind would [have] knocked me on my a**, you know what I mean?"
The third and final knockdown came with 1:49 left in the second frame by way of a looping right hand to the head that instantly sent Harrison to the mat.