Badr Hari To Fight Against Alistair Overeem in October

Moroccan kickboxing champion Badr Hari is set to be back in the ring again in October, according to the Dutch media outlet Algemeen Dagblad. 

The heavyweight kickboxer will face off against the Dutch kickboxer Alistair Overeem in the world’s kickboxing league, known as “Glory Collision 4,” late this year. 

While the Moroccan champion made his debut for the Glory fights in 2016, Overeem is expected to compete in his first-ever bout in the renowned Glory league. 

In 2021, Overeem joined the kickboxing organization after terminating his contract with UFC, the American mixed martial arts. 

Long before their potential kickboxing bout, the two veteran fighters met in 2008 and 2009 when both men were tied at 1-1, making the upcoming fight a game-decider for these fighters. 

Read also: Video of Kickboxing Champion Rico Dancing to Moroccan Chaabi Goes Viral

Beyond settling their long-standing draw, the fight comes with mixed feelings for both heavyweight kickboxers. 

For the 42-year-old Dutch fighter, it is a golden opportunity to mark his debut in the world’s kickboxing league by defeating one of the most crowned fighters in kickboxing history. 

Meanwhile, the 37-year-old Moroccan fighter aspires to put an end to his recent cycle of bad luck by making a long-awaited comeback to his previous glories. 

“The Golden boy,” as many kickboxing fans nickname Hari, is looking to return back to his prime when he settled for years at the pinnacle of the kickboxing ring with 106 wins.  

Hari’s recent fights did not go as his diehard fans had hoped. The Moroccan kickboxer lost 6 out of 7 fights, with his last kickboxing bout against Arkadiusz Wrzosek being canceled as violence broke out between the fighters’ fans. 

Glory is the world’s largest promotion company for fights, with a roster that includes some of kickboxing’s best fighters.

Glory organizes events in seven weight divisions (six men’s divisions and one women’s division) all over the world. By 2021, Glory had hosted around 80 events in seven years of existence. The Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, hosted the first Glory event in 2012.