The sheer size of Jamal Ben Saddik (24-4, 20 KO’s) sometimes makes it easy to forget that he is just 23 years old.
The Belgian-Moroccan heavyweight stands 6’8” (2.02m) and weighs around 260lb (117kgs) is the biggest fighter on the GLORY roster. Ben Saddik’ size means he has been receiving attention ever since he first stepped in the ring. Comparisons to Schilt were immediate and meant that Ben Saddik has been labouring under the full beam of the critics ever since his amateur days.
That in turn has meant that his fights have been nothing but tough test after tough test. He has fought Daniel Ghita, Peter Aerts, Errol Zimmerman, Remy Bonjasky, Ben Edwards and Jahfarr Wilnis under the GLORY banner, going 2-4.
It is a statistic, which does him a disservice. It does nothing to reflect the excitement of his fights, two of which - Aerts and Zimmerman - are among the most thrilling you will ever see in fight sport.
Now it is time for Ben Saddik to get back in the win column; he faces French and world champion Niclas Wamba (42-4, 10 KO’s) at GLORY 16 DENVER on May 3.
“I don’t know much about my opponent but we have started to train for his skills. My coach watches his fights and then feeds that back in to me. We drill for his strengths and weaknesses so that the reactions are sharp,” he says.
His last outing had him beating Edwards at GLORY 12 NEW YORK before fatigue set in during the last half of the last round and his defense evaporated. He lost by KO in the dying seconds of the match.
“I lost a lot of weight around that time but now my weight is back to where it was for the [GLORY 4] tournament in Japan so the people in America can expect a big show again,” Ben Saddik says, blaming diet for the fatigue which engulfed him.
He also says that focus has been a key issue; Ben Saddik is becoming notable as one of those fighters who can seemingly have a bout in the bag and then lose it in the blink of an eye.
“I think it is concentration. If I hit my opponent I always want to knock him down quickly and then I start to lose concentration,” he says, recalling in particular to GLORY 8 TOKYO loss to an all-but-done Peter Aerts.
“When I lose concentration then my opponent can take advantage. So now I work on having more focus so if I hit my opponent I don’t need to rush, I stay focused and finish it.”
Basketball has a presence in Europe, particularly round the Netherlands region, and Ben Saddik’s height would seemingly have made him a natural fit.
So why instead does he spend hours a day hitting bags, pads and training partners in preparation for fights with the most dangerous men in the world.
“I do kickboxing because it is one on one. I hate football, basketball - they are team sports and I don’t need a team sport. If I do something I will do it by myself, I only need a trainer,” he says.
“If I am going to do something I will do it on my own. Everything by myself. That’s why I do kickboxing - I don’t like team sports.”
Ironically, despite the fights being between individuals, the combatants generally belong to gyms and have close bonds with their team mates. This is the case with Ben Saddik, who is particularly good friends with fellow heavyweight - and GLORY 4 TOKYO adversary - Errol Zimmerman.
If you have never seen the fight between these two, it is worth looking up. It isn’t a masterclass of kickboxing finesse but it is an exhilarating back and forth between two fighters who seem continually on the point of being KO’d while about to score their own KO win.
That fight was business and the two are professionals. They were friends before it and remained friends afterwards.
“Before that tournament he trained somewhere else for a few months. So we didn’t see each other for about four or five months and then we stepped in the ring,” Ben Saddik explains when asked how they were mentally ready to do so much damage to each other that night.
“A fight is my work, so I step in the ring and do my job and then after the fight we are back to being friends and everything else.”
Zimmerman is part of the GLORY 16 Heavyweight Contender Tournament and faces Ben Edwards in the semi-final. He has already warned Edwards that he intends to “hurt” him for beating Ben Saddik in New York.
Ben Saddik is backing him to take victory, not only against Edwards but in the entire competition. “I did fight Ben Edwards and I also fought Errol,” he says. “[Based on that experience,] I think Errol will win the tournament.”
And his own fight with Wamba, does Ben Saddik plan on playing it safe in order to try and end the three-fight losing run and score a win? He shakes his head and laughs.
“When I step in the ring I like to entertain the audience, I always give a big show for my audience,” he smiles. “I am not a point fighter. If I step into the ring I always want to knock my opponent out.”
GLORY 16 DENVER takes place Saturday, May 3 at the 1st Bank Center in Denver, Colorado.
The event airs LIVE across the USA on SPIKE TV and in more than 150 territories around the world. Check local listings for details.
