The kid is the real deal. 

His PR activities (making a complete ass of himself) got out of hand. It isn’t entirely his fault. The K-1 rewarded Bob Sapp repeatedly for unsportsmanlike behavior. Hari surely expected a similar response.

The tall lanky youngster was developed by Thom Harinck of Chakuriki Dojo, the same starting point as Peter Aerts. Hari’s future therefore looks very bright.

Last year (2006) started terribly, got worse and then ended rather well. In February, he had his jaw broken against Peter Graham. After recovering, he lost in under a minute to Karaev. Finally, in December, he won a clean decision over Slowinski and stopped Nick Pettas.

Many young superstars-to-be have come and failed to match expectations: Bjarami, Hayashi, Abidi, Ignashov, Williams and others. Hari, despite enormous potential, is at a fragile point in his career. Poor matchmaking at this stage can cost a future talent. Let’s hope they care.

I don’t see Hari making it all the way to the Grand Prix title this year. If he gets eliminated, I hope it isn’t too damaging but rather one of those learning experiences where the fighter comes back better.