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Nicolas Atkin

All Martial Arts content – including ONE Championship coverage – has been made freely available. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing.
“The Hitman” Liam Harrison expects to school John Lineker in their bantamweight Muay Thai fight in January.
But the former ONE Championship title challenger knows “one slip” against “Hands of Stone” could spell doom in Bangkok.
Harrison has been out of action since August 2022 after suffering a knee injury in the first round of his fight against former ONE Muay Thai champion Nong-O Hama.
But the 38-year-old Briton will finally return on January 13 at Lumpinee Stadium in an unconventional match-up.
“I’m thinking it’s just going to be ridiculous, especially the way me and him punch. There’s gonna be some ridiculous CTE going on,” Harrison told the Post.


“He’s just got a little massive coconut head. I’ll end up smashing my hands to pieces on his head.”
ONE Championship first offered the fight to Harrison as a mixed rules striking contest – essentially boxing in 4-ounce MMA gloves.
MMA ‘back in full force’ in 2024 ONE Championship calendar
“While I was out injured with my knee anyway I didn’t care about smashing my hands to bits, I thought my knee can’t get worse, I can punch, let’s do it,” he added.
“But I turned it down [after the injury had healed]. They ended up offering it about 84 million times though and I just said, ‘Look, I’ll meet him in the middle if he wants to fight kickboxing or let’s fight Muay Thai.’.
“All his wins come stood up on his feet. He’s a horrific power puncher. He looks like he trains a lot of Muay Thai from what I see. In 8-ounce gloves I don’t think many people would be interested in seeing this because I think I’d take him to school.

“But with 4-ounce gloves on, when you put a fighter like Lineker in the ring under any ruleset he’s going to be dangerous, there’s always that risk factor.
“All he has to do is touch you once. He’s got the death touch. It only takes one slip in these gloves and he can turn your lights out, which will make it exciting.
“I’ve got to be on my a game from start to finish, but I’ve had more knockouts than he’s had fights so I’m sure I hit just as hard as him. Whoever makes a mistake first is getting flattened.”
A UK legend and pioneer in the sport, Harrison has launched his own UK-based Muay Thai promotion – Hitman Fight League – which will supply regional talent to ONE’s weekly Friday Fights shows at Lumpinee.












View this post on Instagram























A post shared by Liam Harrison (@liambadco)



But he admitted he struggled to come to terms with his long injury absence, which came right at the tail end of his storied career.
“It’s been awful, mentally and physically,” he said. “My head’s just been gone with it all, to be honest. But we’re here now, we’re out the other end, so there’s stuff to look forward to.
“That was heartbreaking to be fair, but it is what it is. No point crying over spilled milk. It’s done now.
“I just want to fight and they weren’t offering me owt other than Lineker so I just had to say yes, basically.

“He’s a very big name in the MMA world. He was top five in the UFC, a ONE champion. It should get a lot of crossover fans involved.”
Lineker was a fan favourite in US-based mixed martial arts giants the UFC, but was released in 2019 after several weight misses – a problem which has persisted in Asia-based ONE, where he lost his belt on the scale last October.
“I hope he misses weight again when I fight him so I can take some of his purse. I know he gets paid loads of money, so I’ll be like ‘yeah, cough it up’,” Harrison added.


Malaysian MMA fans hail UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov’s plan to launch Johor gym

ONE Championship: Ayaka Miura v Macarena Aragon, 2 other bouts complete line-up for ONE 169

ONE Championship: Tawanchai PKSaenchaigym puts title on line at scene of Russell Crowe film

ONE Championship: Rodtang Jitmuangnon wary of ‘slow’ but durable Jacob Smith in title bout

ONE Championship

ONE Championship: Liam Harrison predicts ‘some ridiculous CTE going on’ in John Lineker fight

Liam Harrison and John Lineker will fight in January. Photos: ONE Championship

John Lineker lands a left hook on Fabricio Andrade at ONE on Prime Video 3.

Thailand’s Nong O-Hama lands a leg kick on Liam Harrison at ONE on Prime Video 1 in August.

ONE Championship’s Rodtang ‘speechless’ after Lionel Messi sends him signed football shirt

Rodtang Jitmuangnon shows off his signed Lionel Messi shirt. Photo: Instagram/@rodtang_jimungnon


Rodtang Jitmuangnon thanks the crowd after his decision loss to Superlek. Photo: ONE Championship

ONE Championship: Chatri says Anissa Meksen’s ‘emotional outbursts’ are ‘water under the bridge’ after apology

Anissa Meksen poses on the scale at the ONE on Prime Video 2 ceremonial weigh-ins. Photos: ONE Championship

Anissa Meksen lands a right hand on Dangkongfah Banchamek.

Anissa Meksen celebrates a decision win over Dangkongfah in an atomweight Muay Thai bout at ONE on Prime Video 2 in Singapore.

Anissa Meksen lands a punch on Marie Ruumet at ONE 156 in Singapore.

ONE Championship: MMA ‘back in full force’ in 2024 calendar, more than 60 events ‘around the world’

ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong speaks at a B2B event in Bangkok. Photo: ONE Championship

Joshua Pacio (left) will get a chance to reclaim the ONE strawweight MMA title from Jarred Brooks after their first fight in Manila in December 2022. Photo: ONE Championship

ONE heavyweight MMA champion Anatoly Malykhin could also be in line to return in early 2024. Photo: ONE Championship

Chatri Sityodtong and Takeru Segawa at a press conference in Tokyo. Photo: Abema 

ONE Championship: Joshua Pacio vs Jarred Brooks rematch set for early 2024

Joshua Pacio (left) applauds after Jarred Brooks is announced as the winner of their title fight in Manila. Photos: ONE Championship

Joshua Pacio celebrates his win over Mansur Malachiev. 

Jarred Brooks talks to Mitch Chilson after winning the ONE strawweight MMA title. 

ONE Championship: Hong Kong Muay Thai fighter Yu Yau-pui earns US$100,000 contract with TKO

Yu Yau Pui breaks down in tears after being awarded a US$100,000 ONE contract. Photos: ONE Championship

Yu Yau Pui lands a right hand on Zehra Dogan.

Yu Yau Pui’s arm is raised after her TKO of Zehra Dogan.

Sport

Martial Arts

Muay Thai

‘The Hitman’ expects to school former MMA champion in their bantamweight Muay Thai fight at Lumpinee Stadium in January
But Harrison admits ‘one slip’ in 4-ounce gloves could spell disaster – ‘he’s got the death touch … he can turn your lights out’


Liam Harrison expects to school John Lineker in ONE Championship Muay Thai fight admits ‘one slip’ in 4-ounce gloves could spell disaster.


ONE Championship: Liam Harrison predicts ‘some ridiculous CTE going on’ in John Lineker fight

‘The Hitman’ expects to school former MMA champion in their bantamweight Muay Thai fight at Lumpinee Stadium in January But Harrison admits ‘one slip’ in 4-ounce gloves could spell disaster – ‘he’s got the death touch … he can turn your lights out’

‘The Hitman’ expects to school former MMA champion in their bantamweight Muay Thai fight at Lumpinee Stadium in January

But Harrison admits ‘one slip’ in 4-ounce gloves could spell disaster – ‘he’s got the death touch … he can turn your lights out’