Liam Nolan says his initial decision to retire was sound ahead of comeback fight: “I wanted to go quietly”
British striker Liam Nolan decided to call it a career following his last match in ONE Championship. He said he was no longer in it mentally and it was time to step away.
'Lethal' was last in ONE action in February last year, where he lost by decision to Nauzet Trujillo of Spain in a lightweight Muay Thai clash. He gallantly fought his way through a broken hand and nose but could not swing the judges' decision his way in the end.
Following the match, Nolan said it dawned on him that he was done with the game and was stepping away. He eventually reconsidered his decision after careful thinking and talking to ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.
In an interview with ONE Championship, Liam Nolan shared what it was like for him the past year, from his decision to retire and then return.
He said:
“ONE came to me with an offer, but I’d mentally checked out and turned the offer down. One opponent said I was running, which is why I put that post out on Instagram. I wanted to go quietly, but it’s a good job I did because that’s when Chatri got in touch with me."
Liam Nolan marks his reentry at ONE Fight Night 31: Kongthoranee vs. Nong-O II on Prime Video on May 2 at the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. He is going up against Trujillo in a rematch, where he has an opportunity to get redemption.
ONE Fight Night 31 is available live at U.S. primetime to North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
Liam Nolan recounts rough time he had in first match against Nauzet Trujillo
When Liam Nolan was last in action in ONE Championship against Nauzet Trujillo, he did not even know how he managed to go the full route.
Nolan recounted what happened in the same interview with the promotion, sharing how physically he was breaking down and how harrowing the experience was. He said:
"When he caught me with the elbow I was in a mess. My nose was broken, my hand was broken. When you break your nose, if you blow out, your eye then [swells]. So I couldn't see him either. So, I was trying to hit the one in the middle. It was a bit of a nightmare."
He still plodded through but eventually lost by decision, halting his two-fight winning run.