A prize fighter set to take on a TV panellist in the name of charity says he doesn’t care, he’s just going to “take his chin clean off”.
Bachir Fakhouri has developed a name for himself in street fighting circles and beyond for his taste for biting his opponents’ ears off, but is now set to don boxing gloves for a good cause.
He was approached by GB News panellist Adam Brooks to take part in the fight for Abbie’s Army, a charity fighting DIPG brain cancer close to the panellist's heart after getting to know little Isla Winn, who was killed by the disease last year.
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But the origin of the fight is of little consequence to Bachir and, while he’s happy the ticket sales for the fight are going to charity, he has made it clear that a fight is a fight.
“If it gives the charity a nice little [cash injection] that's cool. But if he thinks 'charity boxing, it's a spar,’ he's f***ing mental,” Bachir told the Daily Star.
“To me, a fight is a fight – when you punch me in the face I switch off and he's going to get hurt – I'll take his chin clean off.”
"Sparing is very different to a fight,” he added. “You can go to a boxing club all you want, when you really, really fight and those lights come on – I’m telling you I’ve done this for years and even I still panic – he's in a world of trouble.”
Adam, 43, has painted himself as the underdog in the fight and hasn't stepped into the ring for 20 years.
His dad, who died when Adam was 11, was a prolific amateur boxer and fought at the York Hall Arena, where this peculiar scrap is set to happen, many times.
“I want to make him proud,” Adam told the Star.
Bachir’s motivation is very different: “I fight for money. I'm really am a prize fighter.
“I fight to pay the bills for my family. That is it. Never said I'd be world champ, never said I'd win a belt, I don't give a t*** – you pay me enough money I'll fight you.”
He knows why he was asked to take the fight too: “They call me a lunatic. Do I fight no rules? Yes. Do I bite ears off? Yes. Do I stamp on people? Yeah, I will if I have to.
“I box to a good level… he wants to get his charity out there, which is fine, but if he thinks I’m going to go in there and play, he’s mental.
“I have one switch and when it comes to a fight, well, he’s going to realise when he’s in there… and I won’t stop until he’s out.”
For Adam, the narrative of the fight is clear: “[Bachir] describes me as a news reader. I'm not a news reader, I’m a TV news panellist fighting a no-rules ear-biting animal.”
His aim is to raise £20,000 for Abbie’s Army after he was initially asked by Isla’s mum to jump out of a plane – something that made Adam’s stomach churn and so offered to fight Bachir instead.
“I'm looking forward to it,” he said. “I'm not scared. I did a little bit of boxing in my early 20s. I gave up for 20 years because I lost the two fights that I had in my early 20s.
“I've recently rediscovered the sport age 42 after taking my boy to the local gym.
“I feel fit and I'm confident that I can give him a go – obviously I'm a massive underdog but hopefully this shows people the lengths that I will go to try and raise money and awareness for such an important charity.”
Asked if he knew about Bachir’s track record and if so why on Earth did he choose to fight him, Adam said: “I've chosen someone that fights for money to provide for his family.
“He's got that hunger in him. He's got the experience. He's got the reputation – I am the underdog here.
“And a lot of people around me have told me not to take this fight but in life, you know, you have to challenge yourself and I wouldn't be taking this fight if I didn't think I could.”
“I spoke to him and he's told me he's gonna take my head off,” he added.
And Bachir agrees: “I know how it feels [when you fight someone and] they have no f***ing fear. And they don't f***ing care how you feel.
“Afterwards, yes, I'll shake his hand, but in there I'll take his jaw clean off. It's not about you. It's a f***ing fight and if he wants to fight we'll fight.
“You know I want to raise as much as he can for his charity and good luck and I'll shake his hand after, I won't shake his hand before, and I won't f***ing stop, at all.”
To support Abbie’s Army you can find theJust Givinghere.
The light cruiserweight fight will take place at the York Hall Arena on September 3, ticket are availablehere.
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