As most of you will now be aware, I’ve regrettably had to withdraw from my fight on Yokkao. This wasn’t an easy decision to make however, one stroke of bad luck after another has left me struggling with injuries and unable to train, and going into a fight against a top thai such as Rambo without a proper fight camp would be absolute suicide. The infection in my hand has meant I’ve been unable to clinch, spar or hit pads, so I’ve been ticking over by running and whatever strength & conditioning stuff I’m able to do, but not doing anything close to what is required physically to prepare for a fight.
I’m really disappointed as I love fighting on the Yokkao shows, which are THE biggest and best in the UK and are always sold out weeks in advance. After some frank discussions with Brian and my trainer, we agreed it best for me to pull out and make a return on the next show in March. I’ve had some real wars on the Yokkao shows, but going into a fight of this magnitude at anything less than 100% would have been stupid.
My next fight will now be on the 23rd November, on the prestigious OneChampionship promotion. These shows are really taking over all around Asia and have only the elite, top level guys fighting on them, and an unbelievable set up and production. They have been taking muay thai and MMA shows to the next level and I’m really looking forward to being a part of what they are doing. The level of fighters signed to their roster is unreal, with loads of the top Europeans and top level Thai champions signed to them, as well as some solid K1 fighters too, including the best K1 fighter of this generation, Georgio Petrosian. All in all, it’s an exciting time to be a part of OneChampionship, and I’m looking forward to showcasing my skills at the highest level. I’ve signed a multi-fight deal, so keep your eyes peeled for an announcement being made on an opponent shortly.
Going back to earlier in the post where I talked about being injured, some fighters believe that there’s an unwritten rule that, whether you’re injured or not, you still have to fight. Personally, I don’t agree with this, although it is something that I have done many times before, where I have gone into fights that I realistically should have pulled out of, and my performance has suffered drastically. In my opinion, going into a fight anything less than 100% is sabotage, and it’s also very dangerous! If you want longevity in this sport then your body needs taking care of. Obviously, during training, you’re going to pick up the little niggles and knocks (that’s unavoidable!), and if you’re not picking these up then you’re probably not training hard enough; however, any injuries that are bad enough to stop you from training for an elongated period of time, then you really need to listen to your body and rest.
For someone who loves fighting and training as much as I do, listening to your body isn’t always easy, but it definitely is the right thing to do, and something that comes with experience.
Thanks for reading!
Liam