Badr Hari: BOXING BOUND

By Sean Farrell

This news has me in absolute SHOCK! Badr Hari the man who KO’d Alistair Overeem has decided to retire from kickboxing to start a new career as a professional boxer. On January 28, 2012, Badr Hari will fight his last kickboxing match on the IT’S SHOWTIME event in WTC Expo in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands. After this fight, Hari will come to the States and fully work on his boxing career.

This announcement will be a shock to the millions of kickboxing fans all around the world, but the sport of boxing will welcome and embrace this charismatic fighter with no negativity.

In the U.S., many see Badr Hari as the man to re-launch the popularity of boxing, and he’s being seen as a mix of Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson all in one. I can confirm this is very close to being a good comparison.

Badr Hari doesn’t just want to say goodbye to kickboxing he wants to be remembered when he goes out. Hari has chosen probably the most feared fighter on Earth, Gökhan Saki as his last opponent in a kickboxing ring. Millions of fans have been waiting for this fight for years, and now they have the opportunity to see it.

If K-1 will host a World Grand Prix this year, Badr Hari will also participate in that also. The Grand Prix Final is scheduled for December 10, 2011 in China. If this World Grand Prix does take place, depends if K-1 will be able to pay its debts to IT’S SHOWTIME and others. If not, the fight on January 28 will be Badr’s only remaining fight as a professional kickboxer.