Dubai: Former K-1 heavyweight champion Badr ‘Bad Boy’ Hari has declared it will be all-out war when he takes on Stefan ‘Blitz’ Leko in their revenge bout at the Global Fighting Championship (GFC), which is to be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) on Thursday.
Hosted by Golden Cage Promotions, the GFC will consist of seven fights with mixed martial arts champions aiming to win a place in the GFC Grand Prix.
The highlight, however, will be the four-man tournament with Hari taking on Leko and Peter Graham facing Arnold Oborotov. The winners of these two bouts will fight each other for the top prize of Dh1 million and the right to contest in the end-of-season GFC Grand Prix.
It will be the third showdown between the two champion kickboxers and the record at present stands at 1-1. Younger by 10 years, Hari has the advantage over his 39-year-old opponent from Croatia.
“Considering my Moroccan ancestry, this fight is like a home bout for me. It is very important that I win before my people. I can assure you there will be no mercy on May 29,” Hari said.
Known for his unsporting behaviour, inside and outside the ring, Hari has been nicknamed ‘The Bad Boy’. And on Monday he was his usual teasing self, referring to his opponent as “the old fighter”.
“These old fighters will pay the price for being older,” Hari said. “I am here to fight and put up a good show and that is exactly what I will do. Expect nothing short of a KO,” he said.
Leko did not want to get drawn into any verbal spat. “Age has nothing to do with this fight. People are getting older all the time, but they also getting wiser and more experienced. Modern day sport is completely different. I eat different and stick to a disciplined life, so we will see what happens on Thursday,” Leko said.
Promoter Prince Amir Shafypour said: “The four-man tournament will be a tricky competition. But personally I think the scales are tipped 60-40 in favour of a Badr Hari-versus-Peter Graham final. But you never know. This is sport and anything is possible.”
Meanwhile, organisers have promised an spectator capacity of 4,000 and tickets have been selling fast. “Our focus is on fight entertainment. This will be a huge event,” Shafypour added.
