Dubai: WBA light heavyweight champion Badou Jack says Dubai would be the perfect place to stage his world title fight rematch with Adonis Stevenson.
The 34-year-old Swede drew against the WBC and lineal light heavyweight champion in Toronto on Saturday, and now the devout Muslim is in Dubai for the next month to spend Ramadan with his family.
While here, he will also launch his ‘Ripper’ nutritional line and continue regional charitable works with The Badou Jack Foundation.
“I feel I won that fight and most people think so,” he told Gulf News of Saturday’s stalemate. “He said he wants a rematch too, so hopefully we get that as soon as possible and I get that belt.”
Where will the rematch take place? “Since they have never had a fight here why not here? I love Dubai and it feels like my second home. It would be a dream to fight in the first world title fight in Dubai.
“It would mean everything to me; to be a Muslim world champion in a Muslim country — that would be huge,” added Jack, who has a record of 26 fights, 22 wins and 13 by knockout, losing once and drawing three.
Now though it is up to his promoter Floyd Mayweather Junior, who is a regular visitor to the UAE, to sort out the rest.
“He’s my promoter and it’s up to him to coordinate all that stuff, but I’ve definitely mentioned to him that I’d love to fight here if possible.”
Dubai has long been touted as a potential big fight destination, but in reality, the biggest bout it has staged was the last win of Briton Chris Eubank Senior’s career, in a non-title fight against Colombia’s Camilo Alarcon at Dubai Tennis Stadium in 1997. It has never held a world title fight.
Jack fancies his chances of a victory in any rematch with Stevenson, but fears he has to act soon before the 40-year-old Canadian calls it quits.
“I definitely think I can win now that I know what to expect. He’s getting older though and took a lot of punishment, it was a tough fight and it wouldn’t surprise me if he retires.
“Hopefully, he won’t, he said he’d give me a rematch, but it wouldn’t surprise me, he’s getting up there in age. I just have to trust my promoter and have a little faith.”
Badou’s agent Amer Abdullah, said: “We will definitely discuss the possibility of coming here. Floyd has a name worldwide, so I think if we put our efforts here and team up with the right people and the deal makes sense for everybody, I think we can build Dubai the fight capital of the Middle East, it’s certainly built for it.”
World famous Las Vegas hotel chain Caesars Palace announced that they would be opening two new hotels here in partnership with Dubai holding company Meraas by the end of the year.
The brand is synonymous with boxing having staged Muhammad Ali’s fight with Larry Holmes in 1980 and Sugar Ray Leonard’s bout with Marvin Hagler in 1987.
Asked by Gulf News to comment on any possible intent to bring world title fights to Dubai, Caesars Palace, replied: “We will be operational before the end of this year, and we will comment on the entertainment component of our offerings when those plans firm up.”
