Wisem Hammami wins UAE Warriors unification battle with Badreddine Diani

Tunisian now holds both Arabia and African titles in the Abu Dhabi promotion

Wisem Hammami celebrates after his first round TKO of Badreddine Diani to win the UAE Warriors Arabia welterweight belt at the Etihad Arena on Friday, August 25, 2023. Photo: UAE Warriors

Wisem Hammami took the UAE Warriors Arabia welterweight belt to add to his Africa title in the Abu Dhabi promotion’s Arabia 12 fight card at the Etihad Arena, Yas Island, on Friday.

The Italy-based Tunisian stopped the defending Arabia champion Badreddine Diani of Morocco in two minutes and 12 seconds with a barrage of punches in the main contest of the 12-fight card.

Hammami went on the offensive from the word go. He grabbed Diani from behind, forcing him to the back of the mesh, before striking him with combination of punches and then landing a vicious elbow as the referee stepped in and awarded the fight as a TKO.

With the win, Hammami took his score over Diani to 2-0 and his overall record to eight wins and a defeat.

Hammami stopped Diani in the second round in their first meeting and this time he produced a better performance to stop the contest in the first round.

“Going into this title contest, I was always confident. And I’m glad of the work tonight and proud to be holding two titles now in this promotion,” Hammami said.

“I managed to end the fight in the first round but that doesn’t mean Badreddine was a pushover. He was the defending champion of the Arabia title having won his last two fights in the promotion. I have a lot of respect for him.”

Hammami came into the Arabia title fight on the back of the first career defeat in the promotion’s international card. He suffered a first-round loss to Dutchman Brian Hooi in July last year.

“I would like to have another crack in the promotion’s international card but it’s up to them, whether they want to arrange a title defence of both the Africa and Arabia titles, or another appearance or two in the international fight card,” he said when asked of his next target.

In the rest of the card, Kuwaiti Abdullah Boushehri produced a second-round submission of Adham Mohamed of Egypt in the welterweight co-main contest.

Egyptian Shehab Noeman stopped Emirati Mohamed Al Katheeri with a left hook to the jaw in the opening round of their flyweight contest.

Other results:

Catchweight (63.5kg): Shadi Kabbani (SYR) bt Walid Ait Tami (MAR)

Catchweight (68.3kg): Abdalrahman Alhyasat (JOR) bt Anaur Bensayiid (MAR)

Catchweight (78.9kg): Namo Fazil (KRG) bt Khaled Amr (EGY)

Featherweight: Maraoune Bellagouit (MAR) bt Abdi Farah (NOR)

Welterweight: Qais Burmawi (JOR) bt Mohammad Mutie (PAL)

Featherweight (female): Hiait Farag Youssef (EGY) bt Eman Almudhaf (KUW)

Lightweight: Mohamed Mamdooh (SYR) bt Youness Mandor (EGY)

Bantamweight: Wasem Anwar (SYR) bt Mahmoud Abd El Rauf (EGY)

Heavyweight: Rayan Chaieb (ALG) bt Mahmoud Mohamed (EGY)