"Referring to Badr Hari’s contravention during his May 29 fight against Hesdy Gerges in the Amsterdam ArenA, we would like to make the following statement:

"We at European Fighting Network want to be clear about the fact that this kind of behaviour will absolutely not be tolerated inside the ring.

"The decision to disqualify Badr was made within seconds. The referee made the decision to let Badr make this announcement to keep the feelings in the venue from running high.

"Badr couldn't and didn't do it because of a combination of booing from the audience and still having to process what just happened.

"The most important matter of this case is that Badr himself knows very well that this action does not belong in a ring and that disqualification is a logical effect.

"Not only has Badr suffered huge damage in his reputation and did he lose his IT’S SHOWTIME world title, but we from European Fighting Network have also charged him with a fitting fine.

"Considering this was the first time Badr Hari misbehaved at an IT’S SHOWTIME event (his other contravention was during a K-1 event), we, as the IT’S SHOWTIME organisation, leave it with this punishment.
"Badr has been told that a long suspension will follow after the next severe case of misbehaviour.

"The biggest concern our organisation has, is that future kickboxers might think that this kind of behaviour will be tolerated and/or valued.
 
"Kickboxing is a sport with tight regulations and anyone who does not live up to these rules does not belong in the ring.

"We from European Fighting Network could easily have said that Badr would be suspended for the rest of the year, but that would have been a worthless punishment, since Badr probably wouldn’t be fighting at an IT’S SHOWTIME event anyway this year.

"This is because he already indicated that he would temporarily quit kickboxing and that if he would start again, he would fight for K-1 at the end of this year.

"Since we do Badr Hari’s management as well, we will do anything we can to help him be an example for the sport, instead of having the image he has at the moment.

"Considering he is only 25 years old, we think that he deserves a second chance at IT’S SHOWTIME and we will try to guide him.

"The reason we have waited a week with our press release is that we first wanted to talk to Badr in private about this matter.

"However, up until now our only possibility to talk to him about what happened and about the penalties we will give him, was by telephone, two days after the event.

"We couldn’t talk to him in private any more than that because the police requested Badr to report himself at the police station.

"This request concerns Badr being a suspect of involvement in a case of the assault of an Amsterdam doorman. This case was in the news a couple of weeks ago.

"However, Badr has not reported himself to the police and we also do not know where he is at the moment. We from European Fighting Network also do not know what the outcome of this case will be."

European Fighting Network