Fight Study: Badr Hari

New post series to go along with my training reflections. Gonna study and write down my analysis of fights and fighters, to see what good fighters do. Tonight I'll review a few of K1 kickboxer, Badr Hari's bouts. When possible I'll link the fights since you can find a lot of fights on youtube these days.

Badr Hari vs Alexey Ignashov





He counters punches with kicks. When he blocks punches in the heavy guard or punches to get inside, he steps forward and transitions quickly to a clinch and knee. Hari's also always circling, just walking steps to his right. Following up the lead leg teep with hands, I should do this next time. I often will throw a teep that's just short of my opponent, so step down with the leg and follow through with either another kick or a right cross left hook combo. Wow, Ignashov wins the fight with a counter right cross to the body. I don't think I've ever seen a knee be countered like that before. Hari threw the knee from too far away without setting it up. So this is the potential danger of attacking with a naked knee from mid to long range. So throw the knee only to counter punches or if you're in close range or after setting it up and getting your opponent blocking

Badr Hari vs Aziz Khattou



Badr and good fighters are always moving, they're always walking in their stance. They never stay stationary at all. Badr just walks down Aziz and imposes his knees on Aziz the entire fight. Aziz needed to pump his jab or keep Hari away with teeps, he needed to throw something instead of just backing up or letting Hari walk into him. I need to not be like Aziz and stand my ground or side step, or throw a kick, or a teep or pump the jab. Don't let the opponent just walk in, make them think otherwise. If they just walk in on you they don't fear you or respect you, make them respect you.

Badr Hari vs Domagoj



Wow, blink and you miss it. Uhm...Who throws a left hook after a left leg kick? Seems like an unnatural combination. Domagoj's only fault is that he throws his hook a little wide letting Hari counter him with a left straight. Yeah, Hari knocked him out with a left straight. Granted it looks like Hari is actually dazed by Domagoj's hook, Hari kept his hands a little low but it's mostly that he turned his face into the punch rather than didn't protect himself. Next?

Badr Hari vs Doug Hinney



Hari loves to counter punches with kicks. I should get into this habit. Vinney throws a nice combo I could use, lead low kick right hook to the body left hook to the head. Then Vinney proceeds to get knocked out. He dropped his hands when throwing the leg kick. Badr anticipates the kicks and steps forward and throws a chopping right.

Badr Hari vs Errol Zimmerman



Hari throws a 1, 2 body that I've used before as well. It's a great combination but I gotta figure out something to continue it with. A left hook or uppercut would feel natural but considering the cross is pretty extended when it connects I'd have to leap forward with the hook or uppercut. A round kick from either leg would work though. Oddly enough, it feels like the right round following the cross feels better. I'll have to test it some more. Lol, Kimbo slice commentating, wow, that's incredibly random. Hari throws a nice cross hook then side steps. This is the type of footwork I need to pull off with my boxing combinations. Zimmerman throws a sick jumping round kick, misses but it looks cool. Wow, right crosses exploding! Zimmerman floors Badr with a short hook overhand right. Looks like Badr tried to slip the hook and counter back with a right uppercut, only thing is that Badr gets lazy and drops his hands when he slipped, taking the overhand right completely on the chin. Then Badr and Zimmerman trade right crosses. Both fighters have their hands down, Hari was just more accurate with the cross than Zimmerman the second time around. Hari sways back to avoid a high kick and sweeps the standing leg of Zimmerman. Hari's got a good stiff jab that's keeping Zimmerman at bay. But he doesn't rest on his jab, he jabs, then moves around to reposition himself in the ring. That was interesting, Hari blows Zimmerman's guard away with a right teep to the head. I'll have to try that if my opponent covers up. Right teep to the face, left round to the head. Zimmerman needs to attack from angles more, he's just walking straight in with no effort in moving his head. Slip in and work the body or try to bait the jab and come over with a right. Or cover up and step in hard and fast to clinch and throw a knee. Zimmerman's just walking in and stalking Hari, which would work on an opponent who backs up but Hari's not intimidated and throws when Zimmerman walks in. Hari's lazy hands when he throws punches bothers me. Zimmerman's hooks are too wide, the straight beats the wide hook and Badr gets the KO.

Conclusions: Hari's got some lazy hands when he throws punches. He counters boxing with kicks well though. He circles and walks in his stance, rarely standing still. When he has his heavy guard up he transitions quickly to a clinch and knees. Hari keeps opponents at bay with stiff jabs and right roundhouse kicks and then moves away.