British Muay Thai star Liam “Hitman” Harrison has lashed out at ONE Championship after a controversial weigh-in incident ahead of ONE 167 this Friday.
In a lengthy statement posted to social media, Harrison expressed his frustration at what he called a “deeply disappointing and frustrating experience” during the official weigh-ins on Thursday.
Harrison, who was scheduled to face Katsuki Kitano, outlined several issues he had with the weigh-in process. He claims that despite rigorous preparation and not missing any weight or hydration tests previously, the official scales indicated he was 146 lbs – 1 lb over the agreed weight of 145 lbs for the bantamweight Muay Thai bout.
“It is not possible to have put 3 lbs on from the weight check after consuming less than 500 ml of water and urinating,” Harrison stated, suggesting either human error or improperly calibrated scales were to blame for the discrepancy.
The 38-year-old said ONE’s “refusal to acknowledge their part in this error” was “unacceptable” and criticized the lack of accountability from the promotion.
Potentially the most damaging consequence for Harrison is that he is no longer eligible for the $50,000 bonus he would have received for winning, nor a share of his opponent’s purse despite Kitano also missing weight initially.
“At 38, I am not prepared to risk my health by attempting to make weight again under these circumstances, especially when I have done everything right,” Harrison explained.
Given the “letdown” and diminished potential rewards, Harrison made the “difficult decision” to withdraw from the bout against Kitano.
He remains committed to eventually rescheduling the Seksan fight originally planned for September and hopes “this situation brings to light the importance of accurate and fair practices” in combat sports.
ONE Championship has not publicly responded to Harrison’s comments at this time. The weigh-in situation marred the final preparations for ONE 167, which features a featherweight Muay Thai world title main event between Tawanchai and Nattawut.
