"Those guys have the most success" - Liam Harrison explains why power punchers are taking over ONE's Muay Thai ranks
Liam Harrison has had a front-row seat to the growth and evolution of the sport that he has dedicated his life to. The Muay Thai veteran has been competing ever since his teenage years, and a lot has changed since that point in time.
ONE Championship has not only changed the scale and professionalism of the sport but the way that fighters approach the game. Putting them in the smaller four-ounce gloves changes everything from an offensive and defensive standpoint.
Rather than taking time to evaluate an opponent and being reactionary off the back foot, you see more fighters looking to push an aggressive pace in order to land their boxing combinations.
Harrison spoke about this during a recent appearance on The FullerWhat Podcast, where he said that fighters who don't follow the trend could risk being left behind:
"It all comes down to like a Muay Mat style now. That's what the best fighters in ONE have to do and those are the guys who are going to have the most success. So if you haven't got good hands, and if you don't know how to punch properly, and if you don't start putting a bit of end movement in and stuff like that, then you're going to struggle."
Watch the full podcast interview below:
Liam Harrison wishes he was in his prime during this era
The Muay Thai era of ONE Championship and four-ounce gloves came later on in the career of Liam Harrison.
'The Hitman' had already achieved so much before making his way to the promotion, and he only wishes that his career had started later so that he could have been at his best in this timeframe.
His boxing combinations would have led to a lot more knockouts, but whichever generation of strikers that Harrison came from, he was always going to have success.
The veteran will look to put on the four-ounce gloves for what could be the last time as he returns against Seksan Or Kwanmuang on September 6.
Tickets for ONE 168: Denver are available via Ticketmaster.