Badr Hari said in an emotional speech at GLORY 88 on Saturday that he does not want to fight in solidarity with earthquake victims in Morocco. He did this ahead of his scheduled fight against James McSweeney.
Earlier today, Harry expressed his support on social media for the victims of the earthquake, which killed more than two thousand people. For a long time it looked like the kickboxer was going to take action until he appeared on stage shortly before his fight.
The message sent by 38-year-old Harry in Paris was: “People in Morocco are doing everything they can to find the bodies. I will not fight now for entertainment.” The entire hall was already packed for his fight against McSweeney.
The event in the French capital began with a minute of silence. Many Moroccans attended the matches. A total of four thousand tickets were sold. Harry will return to the ring in Paris after announcing his retirement last year.
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McSweeney: “There are more important things in the world”
It is not yet known if and when Harry and McSweeney will compete in combat. The Brit also appeared on stage after Harry’s speech and showed understanding of the situation. “There are more important things in the world than fighting.”
McSweeney continued: “I respect Badr’s choice.” “It’s very annoying for those who bought a ticket for me or Badr. But I hope you have a lot of fun.”
Due to Harry’s cancellation, Tiffany Van Soest’s match against Sarah Mossadegh was ended for the evening. The Dutch-born American defended her super bantamweight title in her final fight ever.
