
Badr Hari is returning sooner than anyone realized. This is the good news, the bad news is that he will be facing Zabit Samedov again.
His foot isn’t broken, and despite a dismal performance against Zabit Samedov, he will be facing him again. While, of course, I’m personally happy to see Badr Hari in the ring instead of in prison, his opponent is a boring and odd choice.
Comparing Badr’s struggle with Zabit, to his complete domination of of Zabit the first time they fought, shows Badr’s lack of preparation. I believe it was Badr’s lack of training that was a difference, not Zabit Samedov magically improving.
Jail takes a toll on fighters. Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson were never the same after serving jail time. I believe it saps something out of a fighter’s spirit and takes a mysterious mental toll on a fighter. While Badr Hari only spent a brief time in jail, his next fight against Samedov will be a measuring stick for how well he does in the future.






