British striking icon Liam Harrison has been away from competition for nearly two years, and he’s had plenty of time to reflect on his journey back to the ring.

On Friday, June 7, “Hitman” will return to action after 20 months away when he takes on Japan’s Katsuki Kitano in a bantamweight Muay Thai battle at ONE 167: Stamp vs. Zamboanga inside the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.

Liam Harrison’s rollercoaster ride in Muay Thai

Harrison has been on the shelf since August 2022, when he challenged Nong-O for the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title at ONE on Prime Video 1 and suffered a devastating knee injury at the hands of the Thai legend.

However, before that, the 38-year-old star was riding a huge wave of momentum in his career. The long road back to fitness offered him perspective on how unpredictable Muay Thai can be, and he discussed it in a recent interview with ONE.

“This sport is the highest of the highs and the lowest of the lows. I say this all the time,” Harrison said.

“The fight before [the injury against Nong-O], I fought Muangthai. I knocked him out in the first round, it got voted Fight of the Year, five knockdowns in the space of 90 seconds. I got a $100,000 bonus from that fight.”

“Then the next fight, I leave on a stretcher and get put in the back of an ambulance. So what can you do? You’ve got to suck it up and be able to come back strong. And that’s what I’m doing.”

Harrison reflects on his loss

Ups and downs are an important part of an athlete’s process. Very seldom does success come without a challenge, and “Hitman” believes he’s come through his greatest one yet.

That said, he acknowledges that it has been no picnic and credits those around him for getting him ready for his comeback fight at ONE 167 in a few short weeks.

“It was very hard mentally to come back from this, especially as an older athlete. I had to push the boundaries of my mental strength. Luckily, I had a great rehab team behind me and great support from my family and friends,” Harrison said.