Jamal Ben Saddik has finally hit a lucky break, after a number of setbacks have kept him out of the ring since August 2022. The two-time GLORY heavyweight title challenger will face the hard-hitting Estonian Uku Jürjendal in the main event of GLORY 98 on February 22.
After nearly wresting the belt from champion Rico Verhoeven, Ben Saddik seemed on the road toward a trilogy. The hype died down after ‘The Goliath” was suspended for using performance-enhancing drugs in his title eliminator bout with Benjamin Adegbuyi, which earned him a 15-month suspension. He was suspended for six additional months after an in-ring altercation with Rico Verhoeven a year later. A few months later he was sentenced for money laundering and arrested for kidnapping and assault. After all this, the Moroccan fighter was suspended for ten additional months after failing an out-of-competition drug test in February 2024.
Understandably, the promotion has opted to ease him back into competition with Uku Jürjendal, who has traded wins and losses since arriving to GLORY. By no means an easy fight, as the Estonian’s power might just carry the day against an opponent who will come in with quite a bit of ring rust.
The co-main event will feature a welterweight title bout between champion Chico Kwasi and title challenger Teodor Hristov, a pair of fighters who have yet to taste defeat under the GLORY promotional banner.
Kwasi won three fights on the bounce after joining up with the promotion, before stopping then-champion Endy Semeleer and turning away the challenge of Tyjani Beztati half a year later, which extended his current undefeated streak to 11 fights. Hristov earned his bite at the belt with four victories with the promotion over the past year, which likewise extended his win streak into the double digits – 15 fights. While such streaks might be more common in sports such as boxing, it’s much rarer to see in kickboxing, where competitors are more likely to face opposition of their own caliber more often.
Two of the world’s best welterweights are sure to put on an exciting show, which will lead to what will surely be a violent clash between the heavyweights in the main event.
