Dubai: One of Great Britain's boxing greats wants to develop the huge potential in boxing he sees in the Middle East.
"I realise the fact that boxing is not great here, but I want to promote it and take it to the next logical stage," Ricky Hatton told Gulf News.
"There is definitely a huge potential for the sport in the Middle East and it is my intention to start at the grass roots level."
Hatton was born in 1978 in Stockport, Greater Manchester, and was raised in Hyde.
His first love was for football and he followed his father and grandfather with a trial in the youth team of Rochdale.
But Hatton soon realised boxing had more career appeal to him than football.
"I can see an area for growth here. Dubai can be the next Las Vegas," Hatton said.
Hatton said he had had the region on his radar from the time he stepped away from his career after his second-round knock-out by Filipino fighter Manny Pacquiao in May last year.
"I am very keen on going ahead with the promotion of boxing here. I already have some champions with me at the moment including three world champions and a couple of Commonwealth champions," Hatton said.
"But I am keen on this area and something concrete should happen in the next six months or so. It will be baby steps at the moment.
"I have become a champion in the ring and the next best thing for me will be to make champions from outside the ring."
Hatton, just 31, said had nothing left to prove.
"My main goal was to become a world champion and I did this by claiming six world crowns in different weights, of course," he said. "I ... know for a fact that there are not many British boxers who have won six world championships in two weights and got recognition by the Queen with an MBE," he added.
