Eddie Hearn, Chairman of Matchroom Boxing, has vowed to deliver a night to remember and cement Abu Dhabi’s position as a global fight capital, starting with this weekend’s history making WBA Light-Heavyweight Championship: Bivol vs Ramirez, at Etihad Arena on Saturday, November 5.
Undefeated world champion Dmitry Bivol (20-0-0) faces unbeaten Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez (44-0-0) in the first-ever world title fight in Abu Dhabi. The main event on a stacked card, that has boxing purists gripped, also includes the first-ever women’s world title fight in the region with world champion Chantelle Cameron taking on Jessica McCaskill for the Super-Lightweight crown. The fight night comes just two weeks after the same venue hosted UFC 280: OLIVEIRA vs MAKHACHEV, the main event of Abu Dhabi Showdown Week, as the UAE capital continues to deliver the best in combat sports.
The event is the first in a strategic partnership between Matchroom Boxing and DCT Abu Dhabi and Hearn admits he was drawn to the UAE capital after watching the partnership between UFC and DCT Abu Dhabi flourish – and UFC President Dana White’s glowing praise of the emirate.
Hearn said: “That’s what you want to hear. As a business you want to make sure you have those kinds of partners; the kind of partners you can build something special with and create a legacy in the region. That’s really what we’re all about. It’s going to take time, but our goal is to develop Abu Dhabi as a major global destination for boxing.
“Fight fans don’t realise how good the Etihad Arena is and how great that area is down there, where you can have the weigh-in outside right by the water. You’ve also got plenty of restaurants on the side and then can look over and see the Formula One circuit in the distance. It’s an incredible place and they’re going to see, on November 5, an incredible fight night and incredible energy.”
Saturday’s historic fight card will also see three Emiratis take to the ring and the regional debut of Campbell Hatton, son of British legend Ricky. Hearn insists the inaugural Champion Series event is just the beginning for Abu Dhabi and boxing in the region.
“People have to get used to going to the region,” he added. “You’re going to see participation grow at grassroots level, and you’re going to see us put plans in place for another big event early in 2023. We’re planning more fights in the future in Abu Dhabi and you’ll see the growth from there.”
“You have to educate the fans as they’re not used to seeing boxing events come to Abu Dhabi,” Hearn said. “So firstly, you have to get people used to the fact that this is now a boxing destination. You’ve got Las Vegas. You’ve got Madison Square Garden in New York. You’ve got The o2 in London. These are all venues that, internationally, fight fans will flock to when there’s a major event and that’s what we want for Abu Dhabi’.
“I’m a big believer in the emirate and part of our job is to showcase it, not just as an incredible destination for live sporting events, but as a holiday destination – and for business too. The hotels, the hospitality, the beaches, the theme parks, all these things. That’s why we must bring these people to the region to experience an incredible night of boxing, but also experience an incredible destination.”
Limited tickets for the historic evening of World Championship boxing, which includes three title fights and an unrivalled undercard, are still available, starting at Dh100, while VIP packages featuring ringside seats promise an incomparable experience. All tickets are exclusively on sale at www.etihadarena.ae.
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