Liam Harrison: “All fighters are just flesh and blood!”

Few UK fighters have reached the heights that Liam ‘The Hitman’ Harrison has scaled in his career. His record is regularly punctuated with the best Thai fighters, fought on their home soil. Liam has another tough Thai in his sights when he takes on current Rajadamnern champion Sakkedao but this time it will be on ‘The Hitman’s’ home turf as they compete on Grandmaster Sken’s November 7th “MSA Muay Thai Premier League” supershow. It’s another defining fight for ‘The Hitman’ and he is well aware that it promises to be a real challenge. “It’s going to be a very tough fight as Sakkedao is a very strong, tall fighter who likes to march forward using big knees. He’s the current Rajadamnern champion also and has recently beaten Anuwat and KO’d Nong B.” Some may find this intimidating but Liam’s wealth of experience has taught him that he needs fear no one. “I soon realised they are just flesh and blood like everyone else. I must have faced around thirty Thai fighters now, from not so great island fighters to top 10 ranked and champions.”

He may be a hardened fight veteran now but Liam’s attitude to the sport remains refreshingly simple as he admits that all he has ever wanted to do is fight. This desire to fight has been supplemented by an equally strong urge to prove that he is one of the best fighters out there - the reason he relishes fighting the best Thais. It’s a philosophy and fight regime that sees his style regularly adapt. “My physical style probably changes every couple of fights because I’m always trying to learn more and add to my game to try and become a complete fighter.”

With this in mind, Liam has found it invaluable training and fighting in Thailand. “I’ve fought and trained a lot in Thailand and have enjoyed gaining valuable tips and experience from the trainers at Jitti gym in Bangkok. My Trainer, Richard Smith, also spends a lot of time training in Thailand and is always adding new things to his ever extensive repertoire too, this is one of the reasons Bad Company is ever-improving and we have a good mix and balance with training.” Richard Smith has been a huge influence on Liam’s career and he remembers watching Richard fight against Takashi Ohno at Leeds town hall and it was one of the greatest fights he’d ever seen, to the point that before every one of his first ten fights he’d get the fight out and watch it to get him in the right mood to do battle himself.

Liam’s natural fighting ability saw fruition when he won the WMC World title, bitter-sweet revenge against Nmahphon PK Sterio in Nov 2007, winning by KO against the current champion and number one ranked fighter at Rajadamnern. It says a lot for Harrison though that his most memorable fights are losses rather than victories, both to Thai fighters. The first was against Duwao Kongudom. Despite dropping Duwao in the second round Liam says the Thai then “went on a rampage and landed solid knees and elbows for the rest of the fight to win. I was really banged up after that fight”. The second fight, against Saenchai Sor Kingstar, wasn’t gruelling it was more frustrating as Saenchai was hard to tag with big shots. “I ended up playing him at his own game and although I had some success for the first three rounds a big fourth from him secured the win.”

With Liam set to fight another top Thai on Grandmaster Sken’s MSA Supershow, ‘The Hitman’ is rightly excited by the event and its impact on Muay Thai in this country. “It’s without doubt the biggest show of the year so far, and has the best British fighters and champions from Thailand, including Andy Howson vs Rungravee sasiprapa which will be ‘war!’ as both fighters are known for going forward and throwing elbows. It also has current Rajadamnern champion Sakkedao facing myself, and the best pound for pound fighter on the planet, Saenchai Sor Kingstar, facing Rob Storey.”

See Liam take on Sakkedao, the current Rajadamnern champion on Grandmaster Sken’s “MSA Muay Thai Premier League” supershow on Saturday 7th November 2009.

Supreme Muay Thai World Championships sanctioned by World Muay Thai Council (WMC), Thailand. The Reebok De Vere Whites Hotel Premier Suite at De Havilland Way, Bolton, Greater Manchester BL6 6SF.