Dubai: Sultan Al Nuaimi and Fahad Al Bloushi will follow in the footsteps Majid Al Naqbi, a rising star in the UAE boxing, when they make their highly-anticipated professional debuts on a mouth-watering card at Rotunda Rumble 2 on November 22.
Promoted by D4G Promotions in association with MTK Global and Round 10 Boxing Club, the event, which will be held at Caesars Palace Hotel & Resort, Bluewaters, boasts boxers from no fewer than 15 countries, including WBO world super-lightweight No. 1 Jack Catterall, India’s Olympic bronze medallist Vijender Singh, Pakistani boxing sensation Muhammad Waseem and the fourth-ranked unbeaten WBO world bantamweight Thomas Patrick Ward, from the UK.
The nine bouts on #MTK Fight Night will be broadcast live on ESPN+ in association with Top Rank, and on iFL TV, the No. 1 online source for boxing.
Al Bloushi and Al Nuaimi kick-off a busy undercard against Georgia’s Sandro Tughushi and the unbeaten Indonesian Charles Latuperissa, respectively.
Al Nuaimi posted on his Facebook page that he’s ‘hungry’ to step into the ring for the first time as a professional.
A super-flyweight who has won two national titles and also represented the UAE on numerous occasions, Al Nuaimi said: “Being a professional boxer representing the UAE is a huge honour that I can’t describe.
“We can show the world that we are capable of achieving great things and making our nation proud.
“This sport has attracted a big following in the region in such a short period of time. It’s growing fast and I can’t wait to show the world what I’m capable of in professional boxing.”
Also looking forward to his professional boxing debut was Al Bloushi, a member of the UAE boxing team, who said: “I’m proud to say that this is a stepping stone for us to use our talents further beyond and show the world what the UAE is made of.
“It’s a blessing to be able to start off the right way, in my home country and to showcase my talent to the boxing community and the community of the UAE.”
Al Bloushi, a 23-year-old born and raised in Dubai who is of half-Filipino descent, said he is eager to make his mark in the lightweight division and forecasts great things for the sport in the UAE.
“This is a big step for sports in the UAE,” said Al Bloushi. “Sports outside of football have never really got the attention they deserve, and now we can show the country and the world that we do have talented athletes.
“It’s a blessing to be able to start off the right way, in my home country and to showcase my talent to the boxing community and the community of the UAE.
“I’m more than excited to give me best performance. With the talents that we hold today, I surely believe that there is a bright future for the boxing here. We have the resources and the athletes to match, so it’ll be one of the best places for sure.”
D4G promotions head Ahmad A. Seddiqi, who has been the driving force behind the boxing movement across the UAE, said: “What a stage this is for Fahad and Sultan. It’s a fantastic occasion and a chance for the whole country to join in the celebration with two potential national sporting heroes.
“I believe both these young men have bright futures in front of them and as well as rise in the rankings quickly, they’re going to provide immediate entertainment with their fan-friendly styles of fighting.
“We are putting Dubai on the map in terms of attracting the best international fighters to come and perform here, and we’re equally delighted to be developing the best local talent and giving them a chance to fly the flag.”
The two UAE fighters received a vote of confidence from exciting lightweight Al Naqbi who said: “These are two great young fighters who were both national champions.
“Both Fahad and Sultan continued to study while they trained so it’s been a big challenge for them. They want it so bad and they’ll both be really great champions. I wish them all the best and you’re going to see something good coming up on November 22.”
