Abdul Azim Badakhshi might be living the celebrity lifestyle in his adopted home of India but he hasn’t forgotten the people in his homeland. The Afghan had a heartfelt message for the people in Herat where three earthquakes have struck in the space of a week.
Badakhshi will be back in action at Matrix Fight Night 13. It is his first fight in 18 months after serving a lengthy suspension imposed by the Indian promotion.
Badakhshi didn’t just manage to get himself suspended. All Afghans were banned from competing on Matrix Fight Night cards after he was alleged to have led an angry mob which assaulted Srikant Sekhar after an event.
That ban is over and Badakhshi is fighting again on October 28th. He faces Hae Jin Park and plans to dedicate his win to the people of Herat:
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Humanitarian disaster
Nearly 1,500 people are believed to have been killed by a series of earthquakes in the Herat region with many more injured. Badakhshi might be based in India but he has clearly been following the developments in Afghanistan closely,
“What’s been happening in my homeland has been extremely disturbing and heartbreaking to see; therefore, I intend to dedicate the victory of my upcoming fight to my people who have been affected due to the earthquakes. I will fight for you and I stand by you.”
He also pledged to donate a percentage of his purse to help those affected by the humanitarian disaster that is unfolding in Herat. it is all a far cry from the lifestyle Badakhshi has in Mumbai with his famous and wealthy girlfriend Krishna Shroff.
She is the Matrix Fight Night matchmaker and promoter. Her father is legendary Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff while her brother, Jackie Shroff, has also starred in numerous blockbuster movies.
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Famous family
Shroff and Badakhshi have holidayed together in the Maldives and the Afghan clearly enjoys a lifestyle that would be out of reach for most mixed martial artists in India. His girlfriend has matched him with an opponent who has a lot of experience.
Hae Jin Park is a former Road FC featherweight champion and holds a submission win over Soo Chul Kim. It doesn’t seem as if Badakshi’s girlfriend has done him any favours by making this match but a win would put the 27 year old right back in the title mix.
Badakhshi signed up for the Road to UFC tournament but couldn’t secure a visa in time. He looks set to continue his career with Matrix Fight Night and his thoughts will be with the people of Herat when he competes this month.
