Brutal heavyweight showdown – Jamal Ben Saddik returns against Uku Jürjendal at Glory 98
Controversial heavyweight Jamal Ben Saddik, returns to the Glory kickboxing ring after his loss in a title fight against Rico Verhoeven in 2021, one of the best fights of that year. He would go on to make quick work of Benjamin Adegbuyi at Glory 81 in 2022. However, this win was overturned due to Jamal Ben Saddik failing a post-fight drug test and being suspended.
The controversy wouldn’t end there as Jamal Ben Saddik, over two years, would be suspended thrice, all due to doping violations, and arrested twice. All these out-of-the-ring antics have taken years off of the Morrocan kickboxer career, and he is looking to make up for lost time against Estonian heavyweight Uku Jürjendal.
Jürjendal, who, like Jamal, is a big power puncher with a high knockout ratio, is also looking to get back on track after losing viciously to Levi Ritgers in the 2024 Glory Heavyweight Grand Prix. Being knocked with a vicious overhand sent the Estonian Crashing to the canvas and unable to answer the referee count.
Both fighters will compete in April in the incredibly stacked Glory 99: Last Heavyweight Standing Tournament in April However, this fight before then seems like a fair match-up for both, as both have been competing at the highest level in Glory Kickboxing. A soft matchup is necessary for both fighters to attempt to regain confidence and momentum in Glory’s deep heavyweight division.
Jamal Ben Saddik and Uku Jürjendal both need a win to stay relevant.
Both fighters have recently been having a bit of a hard time in kickboxing. Jamal has had a large layoff after getting suspended, and Uku has had a vicious knockout in the most important fight of his career. This matchup will be a good one in terms of entertainment and skills, as they both have similar styles of going for broke early.
They still must not throw caution to the win if they want to one day attempt to dethrone the current champion, Rico Verhoeven. Who, after all these years, is looking just as dominant as he was last decade. So victory is not an option if they want to reach the top; it is a requirement,
