Algerian Fighter Defuses Online Rivalry After Moroccan Opponent Knocks Him Out

There was just one second left in the first round. On Saturday, October 17, at GLORY 110 in Antwerp, Nidal Bchiri knocked out Nordine Mahieddine with a kick to the body. The organizer GLORY confirmed the Moroccan heavyweight’s victory, recorded after 2 minutes and 59 seconds.

Mahieddine says he was launching an attack when his opponent struck him in the abdomen. The impact prevented him from continuing. The day after the fight, the Algerian fighter noted that his defeat was fueling hostile exchanges between Moroccan and Algerian supporters on social media.

His response, reported on Monday, October 19, by Dutch outlet Puna.nl, stood in contrast to those comments. To him, it was “two fighters in a ring, not two peoples facing off.” He added: “Whatever happens, Nidal remains my brother.”

“My team is Moroccan”

The message held another surprise. Mahieddine explained that his sporting entourage is Moroccan and that he trains in Morocco himself. He works at SB Gym with Saïd El Badaoui, a Moroccan coach who has worked with Badr Hari and Tarik Khbabez, among others.

The Algerian says he is happy to return to Morocco, where he prepares for his fights. The defeat to Bchiri does not affect his relationship with his opponent, he insists, or the bonds he has forged with his team.

The heavyweight also reflected on the knockout he suffered one second before the break. In his view, a single moment can undo months of preparation. He accepts the result, promises to learn from it and to continue his career.

Bchiri ended the evening with a record of 21 wins, six losses and one draw, according to GLORY. Mahieddine, meanwhile, leaves with his seventeenth defeat, but chooses to praise his victor rather than fuel online feuds.