With poignant words and eyes filled with tears, Moroccan world champion Badr Hari announced his withdrawal from his anticipated fight against Englishman James McSweeney, in solidarity with the victims of the devastating earthquake that struck his country on Friday.
This is his right, but what about the rights of the poor fans?
A question posed by MMA MAG : “Who will compensate his bystander victims?”
After giving up fighting the British James Mc Sweeney on September 9 in Paris, following the earthquake which struck the Al Haouz region, Badr Hari will return to the ring on October 7 in Burgas, Bulgaria, to face the Estonian Uku Jurjendal.
IT’S #GLORY89 FIGHT WEEK! Watch GLORY 89 THIS SATURDAY at 8 PM CET, streaming on @videoland. For tickets and worldwide viewing info, visit https://t.co/mtc7jeFgDP pic.twitter.com/F9xWBBlVgM
— GLORY Kickboxing (@GLORY_WS) October 2, 2023
It’s official, Badr Hari (106-16, 92 KO) will compete at Glory 89 in Burgas, Bulgaria on October 7. The Moroccan kickboxer was initially scheduled to participate in Glory 88 in Paris on September 9, but ultimately skipped this fight due to the earthquake that struck the Al Haouz region.
The kickboxing legend will now face Estonian Uku Jurjendal (19-8, 15 KO) and the winner will qualify for the Glory Heavyweight Grand Prix in December. “We are delighted to announce that we have a quick solution to be able to bring Badr Hari back into the ring,” said Glory promoter Robbie Timmers. “Unfortunately, James McSweeney has scheduling issues and will not be able to fight on the designated date. As a result, Uku Jurjendal responded favorably to the call and will face Hari on October 7.
Harry announced his withdrawal from the fight, in front of the fans present in the “Domme de Paris” hall in the French capital, Paris, without taking into account the interests of the fans who are responsible for the suffering of the underdogs from all European countries and even from North Africa, or compensating them by returning the ticket amounts at least??!!
Urgent: legend Badr Hari announces his withdrawal from fighting and says: “People are fighting to search for bodies in my country, and I will not fight for entertainment” 🇲🇦 #GLORY88
عاجل بدر هاري يعلن انسحابه من القتال ويقول الناس ينتشلون الجثث وأنا لن أقاتل من أجل الترفيه pic.twitter.com/VCXyZCfgcj— mmamag.ma (@jamalsoussi10) September 9, 2023
Harry had refrained from competing in his fight last September 9 in Paris at the “Glory 88” evening, in solidarity with the victims of the Moroccan earthquake, as he said after getting into the ring: “This is the time for Ndabzou bash.. This is the time for Morocco, and may God have mercy on those who died.”
Video clips spread across social media platforms of “Harry” talking about the reason for his withdrawal, as he seemed affected by what happened in the earthquake that struck Morocco the day before yesterday, Friday, and claimed the lives of more than two thousand people so far.
In his speech to the fans, Harry said, “Morocco is wounded, people have died, and children have lost their parents. We come to play and be happy, but this is not the time for that. This is Morocco’s time, and may God have mercy on the victims,” promising the fans a strong return.
— GLORY Kickboxing (@GLORY_WS) September 9, 2023
In this context, the “Glory” tournament confirmed, in a statement on its official page on the “X” platform, that Harry withdrew from the tournament “for humanitarian reasons related to the earthquake disaster in Morocco,” noting that it “respects his decision” and that it will donate all profits from the event to a charity in Morocco. To help those affected.
Harry had refrained from competing in his fight last September 9 in Paris at the “Glory 88” evening, in solidarity with the victims of the Moroccan earthquake, as he said after getting into the ring: “This is the time for Ndabzou bash.. This is the time for Morocco, and may God have mercy on those who died.”
Video clips spread across social media platforms of “Harry” talking about the reason for his withdrawal, as he seemed affected by what happened in the earthquake that struck Morocco the day before yesterday, Friday, and claimed the lives of more than two thousand people so far.
In his speech to the fans, Harry said, “Morocco is wounded, people have died, and children have lost their parents. We come to play and be happy, but this is not the time for that. This is Morocco’s time, and may God have mercy on the victims,” promising the fans a strong return.
In this context, the “Glory” tournament confirmed, in a statement on its official page on the “X” platform, that Harry withdrew from the tournament “for humanitarian reasons related to the earthquake disaster in Morocco,” noting that it “respects his decision” and that it will donate all profits from the event to a charity in Morocco. To help those affected.
