Kickboxing Champion Ben Saddik Returns to Glory After Two-Year Suspension

For the first time since August 2022, Ben Saddik will step back into the Glory ring. This will be on February 22 in Rotterdam. His suspension for doping, following a positive test for clomiphene, has come to an end. It must be said that the last three years have been difficult for the Belgian-Moroccan kickboxer. Last June, he was sentenced to forty months in prison for money laundering and fraud. He has appealed this decision. "I have a lawyer who is taking care of it, which allows me to focus on kickboxing."

"But if Glory hadn’t been sure I could fight this year, I wouldn’t be here," he added. A few months earlier, in March 2024, he had undergone an operation for thyroid cancer. Medications including one containing clomiphene were prescribed to him for his recovery. This led to his suspension for doping.

The 34-year-old fighter says he "forgot to declare them". It’s "a really stupid administrative error. I wasn’t rigorous enough in filling out the documents. Otherwise, there would have been no problem," he explains, indicating that he has to go back to the hospital for checkups in mid-April. "It’s something that constantly occupies your mind, but I feel good and I’m trying to focus on the positive aspects."

Ben Saddik is aiming for a third duel against his longtime rival, world champion Rico Verhoeven. But in the meantime, he is preparing for his fight against Estonian Uku Jürjendal on February 22 in Ahoy. "In my private life, everything is going great, and I can’t wait to make my fans happy again. I never doubted my return, because I still want to become world champion," he confided.