Jamal Ben Saddik is facing a 6-month suspension for his actions against Rico Verhoeven at the GLORY Heavyweight Grand Prix earlier this year.
March 9th, after the semi-final between Rico Verhoeven and Nabil Khachab, the two heavyweights exchanged words which quickly erupted in a chaotic scene when corner men of both fighters joined in. Jamal Ben Saddik, who was present as one of the cornermen for his teammate Khachab, made a kicking movement towards Rico Verhoeven.
In a statement, the promoter said:
"GLORY has concluded its investigation of the in-ring incident following the semi-final match during the GLORY Heavyweight Grand Prix on 9 March 2024. As a result, GLORY has imposed a 6-month suspension on Jamal Ben Saddik for his actions which ran the risk of inciting violence and could have caused harm to participants, fans, and officials."
In addition to GLORY's code of conduct, Dutch athletes and gyms must adhere to the Vechtsport Autoriteit (VA) Disciplinary Rules. The VA requires that promoters impose these rules and penalize violations. These penalties are enforced by the VA across the Netherlands, meaning Ben Saddik will not be able to attend any events in the coming months in The Netherlands.
GLORY CEO Marshall Zelaznik adds: "In working with the VA and in keeping the precedent set by them, it was clear that our shared goal is to always represent the sport in the best light possible. The decision we made is in line with this objective. At GLORY, we will also review our procedures and processes to be sure we protect the sport of kickboxing, the amazing athletes that compete and our fans".
