Ubayd Haider is recovering at the Lautoka Aspen Hospital Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

This was after he copped major blows from his opponent, China’s Runqi Zhou in the IBO Asia Pacific Super Featherweight title bout at Prince Charles Park, Nadi last Saturday night.

Haider who was born Nathan Singh took on one too many heavy body punches throughout the entire bout, with majority of his time in the ring on defense mode.

Zhou on the other hand was like a Samurai that did not back off.

Finally, a dividend paid off for him when Haider hit the canvas twice in the ninth round and did not beat the count on the second occasion.

Haider collapsed on his way to the changing room where he was attended to by the ringside doctor.

He was initially rushed to the Nadi Hospital then to Lautoka where he remains.

Zhou said the game plan was simple one that is to work the body and stop him in the later round.

“He (Haider) had too much smiling and not too much punching,” said Zhou the new title holder.

“Bodywork, bodywork and stop him in the later round, just non-stop pressure. I love you Fiji, vinaka.”

Zhou’s trainer Angelo Hyder did not mince his words and said the corner man and team should have known better who he would face in the ring.

“I don’t know who is training him (Haider), I don’t know the level of sparring and how can he prepare for this guy,” Hyder said.

“Runqi, has a lot of sparring partners which is very difficult at times. He had his chance to come to Australia. You want to be on the top level, you must be where the top level is,” he said.

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