British striking legend Liam Harrison wants to make a big splash when he returns to ONE Championship. After 20 months away from competition, ‘Hitman’ is set to face Japanese sensation Katsuki Kitano in a highly anticipated bantamweight Muay Thai match at ONE 167: Stamp vs. Zamboanga. This fight will take place inside the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, June 7.

Harrison was riding a wave of momentum in 2022 after scoring a mind-blowing win over Muangthai PK Saenchai at ONE 156. It was a battle that was later named ONE’s Muay Thai Fight of The Year. Moreover, it earned him a chance to challenge Nong-O Hama for the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title. 

Their encounter went down at ONE on Prime Video 1 in August 2022. Further, it proved to be a fateful evening for the Bad Company superstar, as he suffered a devastating knee injury thanks to a kick thrown by Nong-O in the first round. This led to an extended time away from competition. 

Liam Harrison about his next fight

Nearly two years on, Harrison’s health issues are finally behind him. And now, he’s looking to resume his quest for ONE gold with a big payday at ONE 167.

“I’m going to knock him out. That is how I fight. That’s how it is. Every fight, I come to fight hard to look for a stoppage and obviously, there’s a big bonus money in ONE Championship, you know? I mean, like, you get $50,000 for a big knockout and stuff like that. So yeah, I’m going to be looking for that,” he told talkSPORT MMA.

‘Hitman’ has over 100 bouts to his name and has consistently entertained fans with his brand of Muay Thai. He is eager to remind fans what they have been missing when he returns, but Kitano will be an undeniable challenge for him.

The Japanese striker has 25 wins in his professional career, including one in his promotional debut at ONE Friday Fights 38 in October 2023. He defeated Turkey’s Halil Kutukcu in a three-round brawl that evening to show everyone how dangerous he can be. 

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Liam Harrison aiming for the handsome bonus

However, Harrison is determined to move up from the fifth spot in the bantamweight Muay Thai rankings he currently holds, and he’s looking to do so in an exciting and definitive fashion on June 7.

“I’m just going to press forward and make it as exciting for the fans as I can because I enjoy fighting like that. I enjoy getting into wars, and I know the fans enjoy it. So I’m going to be enjoying it, they’ll enjoy it, and hopefully we’ll get a highlight-reel knockout, and we’ll get a 50 grand bonus as well,” he said.

Do you think Harrison can achieve everything that he has recently said? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.