The WBA light heavyweight title fight between Dmitry Bivol and Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez on November 5 will take place at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
The bout, organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and Matchroom Boxing, marks the emirate’s move into hosting major boxing events.
It pits against one another two undefeated boxers, with champion Bivol 20-0 (11 KOs) having in May retained the belt with victory against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. The Russian, 31, is widely considered to be among the top 10 pound-for-pound boxers in the world. He will be making the ninth defence of his WBA crown in what will be the first major title fight in the emirate.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Bivol said: “The fight with 'Zurdo' has been brewing for some time - many things have been said. Now we have the chance to take care of things with our actions in the ring, and not our words outside of the ring.”
Ramirez, meanwhile, boasts a 44-0 (30 KOs) pro record, with his past five victories coming at light heavyweight. A former titleholder at super middleweight, the Mexican is coming off a knockout win against Dominic Boesel, also in May. The victory moved Ramirez, 31, to first in line for the title shot, as he seeks to end Bivol’s near five-year reign at 175 lbs.
“I’m happy that the fight is finally happening despite all the challenges,” Ramirez said. “It’s been a long time coming and I look forward to a great night come November 5. I would fight Bivol anywhere - including Mars, but I know we’ll put on a great show in Abu Dhabi."
Both boxers will be in the capital on Wednesday alongside Matchroom Sport chairman Eddie Hearn to discuss the event. Although Bivol-Ramirez represents the first of the new “Champions Series” partnership between DCT-Abu Dhabi and Matchroom, Abu Dhabi has a rich recent history in showcasing combats sports. The UFC is a regular visitor to the emirate – the world's lead mixed martial arts promotion returns in October with UFC 280 – while Etihad Arena hosted an exhibition boxing event in May featuring five-time world champion Floyd Mayweather.
In Tuesday's release, Hearn said: “Dmitry Bivol has now secured himself with pound-for-pound status after his victory over Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in May, and looks to make a hugely important defence against mandatory challenger and former world champion Gilberto Ramirez.
"The card will be stacked with world championship fights and is set to be one of the biggest nights of boxing in 2022."
Saleh Mohamed Saleh Al Geziry, director general for tourism at DCT – Abu Dhabi, added: “We are thrilled to host this spectacular boxing event in Abu Dhabi. Partnering with reputable partner Matchroom Boxing adds yet another dimension to our exciting calendar.
“Once again, the eyes of the world will be on Abu Dhabi on November 5 as we continue to strengthen our position as a top destination for world-class sport. As the host city, we are eager to share our warm Emirati hospitality to visiting fans and offer them memorable, exciting experiences to enjoy at their own pace.”
Fans can register their interest for the event at https://r1.marketing-pages.com/p/79SU-5YG/bivol-ramirez.
Mayweather v Moore in Abu Dhabi
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
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Game Of Thrones Season Seven: A Bluffers Guide
Want to sound on message about the biggest show on television without actually watching it? Best not to get locked into the labyrinthine tales of revenge and royalty: as Isaac Hempstead Wright put it, all you really need to know from now on is that there’s going to be a huge fight between humans and the armies of undead White Walkers.
The season ended with a dragon captured by the Night King blowing apart the huge wall of ice that separates the human world from its less appealing counterpart. Not that some of the humans in Westeros have been particularly appealing, either.
Anyway, the White Walkers are now free to cause any kind of havoc they wish, and as Liam Cunningham told us: “Westeros may be zombie land after the Night King has finished.” If the various human factions don’t put aside their differences in season 8, we could be looking at The Walking Dead: The Medieval Years.
RESULT
Wolves 1 (Traore 67')
Tottenham 2 (Moura 8', Vertonghen 90 1')
Man of the Match: Adama Traore (Wolves)
The British in India: Three Centuries of Ambition and Experience
by David Gilmour
Allen Lane
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 390bhp
Torque: 400Nm
Price: Dh340,000 ($92,579
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Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
If you go
The flights Etihad (www.etihad.com) and Spice Jet (www.spicejet.com) fly direct from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Pune respectively from Dh1,000 return including taxes. Pune airport is 90 minutes away by road.
The hotels A stay at Atmantan Wellness Resort (www.atmantan.com) costs from Rs24,000 (Dh1,235) per night, including taxes, consultations, meals and a treatment package.
Seemar’s top six for the Dubai World Cup Carnival:
1. Reynaldothewizard
2. North America
3. Raven’s Corner
4. Hawkesbury
5. New Maharajah
6. Secret Ambition
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
MATCH INFO
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 1', Kane 8' & 16') West Ham United 3 (Balbuena 82', Sanchez og 85', Lanzini 90' 4)
Man of the match Harry Kane
