BADR HARI underlined his status as world kickboxing's most exciting property as he retained the
It's Showtime super heavyweight title with a devastating second round knockout of Mourad Bouzidi in Prague.
The Moroccan-Dutchman was always in control against an overly defensive Bouzidi and threaded a sickening right uppercut
(pictured above by Ben Pontier for It's Showtime/European Fighting Network) through his high guard to send him crashing
sideways.
Gloves by his temples and perhaps overawed by the occasion, Bouzidi
landed little of note and was saved by the bell at the end of the first round after being hurt badly by a left hook followed
by a hard right.
Hari did not need a second invitation to end the contest when
it resumed and bombarded his opponent from The Hague for two eight counts before landing the fight-finishing blow with Bouzidi
backed against the ropes.
Runner-up in the last two K-1 World Grand Prix finals, Hari
will put his belt on the line for the second time in Amsterdam on May 29, when he will be challenged by up and coming
Hesdy Gerges.
In an entertaining chief support at the 02 Arena, Romania's
low kick specialist Daniel Ghita took a tight points decision against crowd-pleaser Dzevad Poturak, whose fellow
Bosnian heavyweight Adnan Redzovic sprang a minor upset with a resounding points win over Anderson Braddock
Silva.
Redzovic started fast and dominated throughout, dropping the Brazilian three
times.
Tomas Hron gave the Czech fans plenty to shout about as the Vos Gym-trained
heavyweight blasted Andonias Tzoros with low kicks until the Greek's corner mercifully threw in the towel in the second
round.
Former K-1 World Max semi-finalist Gago Drago pulverised Yutaro Yamauchi
for a third round stoppage in 2007 but had to work hard for his win in their rematch, pulling away in the final round
after the gritty Japanese had more than held his own.
Pajonsuk fights
double K-1 Max champion Andy Souwer on the big It's Showtime event in Amsterdam in May and picked up a painful victory
after Korean rival and MMA fighter Chan Sung Jung was disqualified at the end of the first round.
The Thai - who boxed for his country at middleweight in the 2008 Beijing Olympics - used his spiteful
and fast kicks to take the lead but was knocked cold after being caught by a spinning back fist, which is an illegal
strike under It's Showtime rules.
Ondrej Hutnik picked up another home win
for the Czechs as he outscored Hakan Aksoy, and Tomas Sekyr opened the eight-bout bill with a distance defeat of Artiom
Vachitov.
It's Showtime return with their 39th event in Milan on March 13
and promote in Budapest on April 17 before their annual blue riband gala at the Amsterdam ArenA in May.
