“You’re Liam m****ing Harrison” - What Bill Goldberg told Liam Harrison mere minutes before his Denver firefight against Seksan
Although he lost in his final ONE Championship match, Liam Harrison got to fulfill a childhood dream when pro-wrestling legend Bill Goldberg joined his corner at ONE 168: Denver.
Harrison fell in a losing effort in his dream Muay Thai match against Seksan when they clashed in a catchweight matchup (140 pounds) this past weekend at Ball Arena.
Harrison was always known to weather any emotions heading into his matches, but Goldberg still decided to give him some much-needed pep talk when they made their way out of the back tunnels to the Circle.
In a video ONE Championship posted on Instagram, Goldberg told Harrison:
"Let's get him. I had doubts about myself one time before I walked into the ring, and I picked up the phone and I called a friend of mine, and he says, 'You're Bill f****** Goldberg!' [I said] 'You're Liam m************ Harrison!' That's all you need."
Goldberg hyping up Liam Harrison was the stuff of 2000s pop culture and martial arts legend, but their combined might would ultimately fall at the hands of Thai legend Seksan.
'The Man Who Yields To No One' was a man possessed during his super fight against Harrison, and he dispatched the British legend with three knockdowns in the second round to secure the technical knockout win.
Shortly after his defeat, Harrison officially announced his retirement after leaving his gloves in the center of the Circle.
Liam Harrison admits he's come to realize he could no longer hang with the younger fighters
Liam Harrison is undoubtedly one of the greatest strikers in the history of kickboxing and Muay Thai, but the British legend came to the sad realization that his time at the highest level has ended.
Harrison told the media present during the ONE 168: Denver post-event press conference that he could no longer match the intensity of the younger generation of fighters, especially specimens like Nico Carrillo and ONE flyweight kickboxing and bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Superlek Kiatmoo9.
He said:
"I'm 39, and then I look at guys right in their prime like Nico Carrillo and Superlek, and I don’t know [if I could] fu*king beat those guys now, do you know what I mean?"