British boxing icon Ricky Hatton is stepping back into the ring, and he’s doing it in Dubai.
The former world champion has confirmed he will return to professional boxing in a middleweight bout against UAE’s own Eisa Al Dah on December 2, just weeks after turning 47. The highly anticipated fight will take place in Dubai and was officially announced during a promotional event hosted by Al Dah on Sunday.
While Hatton wasn’t physically present at the Dubai announcement, he joined via livestream, explaining that a freak injury, caused by his sunglasses, suffered at the Oasis gig, prevented him from travelling.
“I wish I were there, but I had a little injury to my eye,” Hatton told a British daily.
“It’s one of those freakish things. I caught my sunglasses in my eye. Luckily, there’s no permanent damage, just a surface scrape. Fingers crossed, we’re good to go.”
Hatton, affectionately known as “The Hitman,” was one of the sport’s most beloved figures, having claimed world titles at light-welterweight and welterweight during his career. He last fought professionally in 2012, when he was defeated by Vyacheslav Senchenko in Manchester, a fight that marked his official retirement after a storied run.
Hatton, affectionately known as “The Hitman,” is one of Britain’s most popular ever fighters, having claimed world titles at light-welterweight and welterweight during his career. The Manchester-born boxer is renowned for taking huge swathes of support over to Las Vegas for huge fights against the likes of Floyd Mayweather, Paulie Malignaggi and Manny Pacquiao.
His Dubai comeback against Eisa Al Dah, a respected Emirati fighter who has won eight of his 11 professional bouts, is expected to draw attention from fans across the region and beyond, especially with Dubai’s growing reputation as a global hub for elite sporting events.
“The main thing is the fight will take place, and I can’t wait. I’m looking forward to it.”
With the UAE increasingly becoming a stage for major combat sports, this bout marks another big-ticket fight that puts Dubai in the global boxing spotlight.