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10.25.07 Badr Hari Interview Author: Monty
DiPietro
At just 22 years of age, Defending K-1
Heavyweight Champion Badr Hari is the youngest
of the eight fighters competing in the Dec 8 K-1
World Grand Prix Final. The Moroccan kickboxer
earned his spot by beating Doug Viney in Seoul
on Sept 29. The morning after that KO victory, a
relaxed Hari chatted with IFA.
IFA: Badr, you have something of a reputation as
an "enfant terrible," Where you a bad boy when
you were young?
Hari: Ha ha. I just liked to have fun like all
kids do. I still like to do that, and maybe some
people mistake that as 'bad'. But as a kid, I
wasn't so bad.
IFA: Would you consider yourself a good role
model for kids?
Hari: No, I don't think so! I don't see myself
as a role model, I think you just have to be
yourself. But if some young people see me as a
role model that's ok. If I had kids, and they
liked me, I would be glad, because I don't let
people tell me what to do, I do what I like to
be happy, and maybe that's a good role model.
IFA: When did you first know you were going to
be a fighter?
Hari: When I was seven years old, I was living
in East Amsterdam, 'the ghetto', lots of a
Moroccans. There was a gym next to my house. I
didn't do any other sports, but training there
was cheap. My father knew I could spend the
whole month there and it cost nearly nothing, so
that's how it started.
IFA: When did you realize you could make
fighting a career?
Hari: I liked fighting from the beginning, but
in the beginning you don't know if you are going
to become a professional. I just liked to fight.
When I was 14 or 15, I dropped out of school but
I didn't drop out of training, I stayed with
training because I liked it. And then this
success happened and I got where I am, and I'm
just happy now!
IFA: How do you train these days?
Hari: I do a lot of cardio training, jogging and
sprinting, strength training, all kinds of
conditioning, also diet. I do everything,
different techniques. I stil like the gym and
I'm training six days a week, sometimes till
five o'clock I'm in the gym, I eat in the gym!
IFA: You're only 22 years old, you have been
accused of not respecting veteran kickboxers…
Hari: Well, what is 'respect'? I don't have any
heroes in kickboxing. But that doesn't mean I
don't respect them. Maybe some fighters got the
idea I don't respect them because I want to
fight them, and some people think that's
strange. I think we are in this business to
fight each other and I'm not afraid to say it,
and to challenge them. They think I have no
respect because I challenge them? Hey, if I
don't challenge them, if nobody challenges them,
then they have no work tomorrow. Come on, this
is the fighting business and we have to fight!
IFA: One hour before a fight, do you meditate,
do you pray, any special preparation?
Hari: One hour before a fight I just prepare by
focusing myself. Of course I pray a little bit,
I'm religious, Muslim. But I don't pray to win,
I just pray to stay healthy, because that's the
most important thing in this business, to stay
healthy.
IFA: Going to the Grand Prix Final in December,
what's your biggest asset?
Hari: The other guys in the final are very
strong, but I'm very young and I'm very hungry.
I just want to win this very bad. My age is a
big weapon for me, but also because I'm young, I
know if I don't win it this year I can do it
next year, or the year after. Because I'm young
that lets me be patient, that lets me relax.
IFA: Your first opponent will be Remy Bonjasky,
who has some pretty good legs.
Hari: In my preparation for that fight, I don't
think I have to adjust anything for Remy, I just
have to do my thing. I'm not worried at all
about his knees or about his kicks, but I think
it's going to be a very interesting fight. |
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