Eddie Hearn believes Abu Dhabi can become one of the world’s lead destinations for elite-level boxing, rivalling Las Vegas and New York as a must-visit venue for fight fans.
As Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing and partner the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi prepare for the headline world title bout between WBA light-heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol and challenger Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, the promoter says it is just the start of an exciting journey for the capital.
"It’s not a traditional stop on the fight fans’ global map, who go to big events in Madison Square Garden and Las Vegas," Hearn told The National. "In time, the aim is to make sure Abu Dhabi is known as a destination of major, big-time boxing."
The November 5 event, the first in the new partnership's “Champions Series”, takes place at Etihad Arena and will feature at least one more world title fight – the undisputed encounter between WBC and IBF women’s junior welterweight title-holder Chantelle Cameron and undisputed welterweight champion Jessica McCaskill.
Hearn hopes the occasion will light the touchpaper for Abu Dhabi, with the real possibility of Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, Anthony Joshua or Katie Taylor competing in the capital next year.
Hearn said that while Matchroom are determined to ensure the inaugural event is a success, there have also been discussions regarding the 2023 schedule.
“We want to make November 5 count and we want to make sure we execute it in the perfect fashion,” Hearn said. “At the same time, boxing is a sport that requires planning. So if you’re looking to stage major fights in January, February, March, April, now is the time to start securing those.
“There’s a number of conversations ongoing with DCT and Eleven - our partners out there - about some major fight nights and major names, and building an active schedule for boxing.
“I think that’s very important. I’m not really a believer in, or a fan of, one-off events if you actually want to build the sport in the region. To promote, educate, inspire people from grassroots, to increase participation, you need people to become familiar with the sport and you do that by creating a solid schedule of events over time.
“November 5 is the beginning: tremendous card, people will watch, people will love it, people will become inspired, and then you move to the next one. This is a tremendous main event and card, but also there’s the ability to bring some bigger names, the likes of Anthony Joshua, Canelo Alvarez and Katie Taylor and other members of our stable to Abu Dhabi. And I think that’s something the focus will be on.
“Our reasoning behind entering this agreement with Abu Dhabi and DCT is to create a long-term plan for boxing in the region, and those discussions are ongoing.”
Hearn said that, since the partnership with DCT was announced on August 31, he has spoken to a number of elite-level boxers regarding fighting in Abu Dhabi, with the response “all positive”.
“As a fighter that’s about creating a legacy,” Hearn said. “Fighting in these countries, in these regions, is very important in creating the legacy of the career.
“Canelo Alvarez really wants to have a fight in the Middle East; Anthony Joshua obviously had two fights already in Saudi [Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019 and Oleksandr Usyk in August]; Katie Taylor, an icon of the sport, more than open to fighting over there.
“So we’ve got the ability to make the biggest fights out there, and I expect to see some of those names in Abu Dhabi next year.”
Arguably the sports most bankable star, Alvarez is expected to next face the winner of Bivol-Ramirez. The Mexican, who last month defeated Gennady Golovkin in their trilogy clash, was beaten by Bivol earlier this year, when he lost via unanimous decision to the champion having stepped up yet another weight class. It represented the second defeat of Alvarez’s remarkable 62-fight professional career.
Alvarez, the undisputed super-middleweight champion, said after the Golovkin victory that he would need time away from the sport to have surgery on his left hand, with either May or September the target for his return.
Hearn said he thought the former was more likely, and that that could open the door for a Bivol rematch in Abu Dhabi.
“I think it’ll be May,” Hearn said. “He talked about September, but I think he’ll have that hand operation and he’ll be ready to start training towards the end of the year, which would give him more than enough time.
“He wants to fight internationally; it’s a big part of his plans, whether that’s the UK, the Middle East, Australia, Mexico. But I’ll even do my best to bring him over for November 5 and see if he can be ringside for that fight. Because that’s the one he wants.”
Asked what it would take for that fight to land in Abu Dhabi, Hearn added: “Obviously it’s expensive. You’ve got a guy there who does $20-million gates in Las Vegas every time he fights. And prime-time USA hitting huge hundreds of thousands in terms of pay-per-view buys.
“So, the deal has to be right for everybody. But he wants to make it happen. And I think, if he comes to Abu Dhabi on November 5, he'll really enjoy what he sees.”
Hearn said a full announcement on next month’s card would come in due course, with a “big heavyweight fight” and a number of bouts featuring regionally based fighters on the bill – a priority objective of the partnership.
The Matchroom Sport chairman added that ticket sales for November 5 were “moving well” following their release last month.
“We need to focus on educating the community within Abu Dhabi about boxing, and getting people used to major fight nights, major boxing events, in Abu Dhabi,” Hearn said. “And it will take time. They’ll see the quality like this, but like anything, you go from 8,000-10,000 [attending], to 12,000, to 15,000, and so on.
“And, really, it’s about making sure people are aware of how good this event is and also making sure, when the event is done, they leave with an understanding of how enjoyable the night was."
On the lengthy agreement with DCT, Hearn said: “That’s the reason why we entered into this partnership: to create a long-term, sustainable, programme and calendar for major boxing events in Abu Dhabi.
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
The specs: Rolls-Royce Cullinan
Price, base: Dh1 million (estimate)
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 563hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 850Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 15L / 100km
UAE%20SQUAD
%3Cp%3E%0DJemma%20Eley%2C%20Maria%20Michailidou%2C%20Molly%20Fuller%2C%20Chloe%20Andrews%20(of%20Dubai%20College)%2C%20Eliza%20Petricola%2C%20Holly%20Guerin%2C%20Yasmin%20Craig%2C%20Caitlin%20Gowdy%20(Dubai%20English%20Speaking%20College)%2C%20Claire%20Janssen%2C%20Cristiana%20Morall%20(Jumeirah%20English%20Speaking%20School)%2C%20Tessa%20Mies%20(Jebel%20Ali%20School)%2C%20Mila%20Morgan%20(Cranleigh%20Abu%20Dhabi).%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Strait of Hormuz
Fujairah is a crucial hub for fuel storage and is just outside the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route linking Middle East oil producers to markets in Asia, Europe, North America and beyond.
The strait is 33 km wide at its narrowest point, but the shipping lane is just three km wide in either direction. Almost a fifth of oil consumed across the world passes through the strait.
Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait, a move that would risk inviting geopolitical and economic turmoil.
Last month, Iran issued a new warning that it would block the strait, if it was prevented from using the waterway following a US decision to end exemptions from sanctions for major Iranian oil importers.
RESULTS
Lightweight (female)
Sara El Bakkali bt Anisha Kadka
Bantamweight
Mohammed Adil Al Debi bt Moaz Abdelgawad
Welterweight
Amir Boureslan bt Mahmoud Zanouny
Featherweight
Mohammed Al Katheeri bt Abrorbek Madaminbekov
Super featherweight
Ibrahem Bilal bt Emad Arafa
Middleweight
Ahmed Abdolaziz bt Imad Essassi
Bantamweight (female)
Ilham Bourakkadi bt Milena Martinou
Welterweight
Mohamed Mardi bt Noureddine El Agouti
Middleweight
Nabil Ouach bt Ymad Atrous
Welterweight
Nouredine Samir bt Marlon Ribeiro
Super welterweight
Brad Stanton bt Mohamed El Boukhari
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Tributes from the UAE's personal finance community
• Sebastien Aguilar, who heads SimplyFI.org, a non-profit community where people learn to invest Bogleheads’ style
“It is thanks to Jack Bogle’s work that this community exists and thanks to his work that many investors now get the full benefits of long term, buy and hold stock market investing.
Compared to the industry, investing using the common sense approach of a Boglehead saves a lot in costs and guarantees higher returns than the average actively managed fund over the long term.
From a personal perspective, learning how to invest using Bogle’s approach was a turning point in my life. I quickly realised there was no point chasing returns and paying expensive advisers or platforms. Once money is taken care off, you can work on what truly matters, such as family, relationships or other projects. I owe Jack Bogle for that.”
• Sam Instone, director of financial advisory firm AES International
"Thought to have saved investors over a trillion dollars, Jack Bogle’s ideas truly changed the way the world invests. Shaped by his own personal experiences, his philosophy and basic rules for investors challenged the status quo of a self-interested global industry and eventually prevailed. Loathed by many big companies and commission-driven salespeople, he has transformed the way well-informed investors and professional advisers make decisions."
• Demos Kyprianou, a board member of SimplyFI.org
"Jack Bogle for me was a rebel, a revolutionary who changed the industry and gave the little guy like me, a chance. He was also a mentor who inspired me to take the leap and take control of my own finances."
• Steve Cronin, founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com
"Obsessed with reducing fees, Jack Bogle structured Vanguard to be owned by its clients – that way the priority would be fee minimisation for clients rather than profit maximisation for the company.
His real gift to us has been the ability to invest in the stock market (buy and hold for the long term) rather than be forced to speculate (try to make profits in the shorter term) or even worse have others speculate on our behalf.
Bogle has given countless investors the ability to get on with their life while growing their wealth in the background as fast as possible. The Financial Independence movement would barely exist without this."
• Zach Holz, who blogs about financial independence at The Happiest Teacher
"Jack Bogle was one of the greatest forces for wealth democratisation the world has ever seen. He allowed people a way to be free from the parasitical "financial advisers" whose only real concern are the fat fees they get from selling you over-complicated "products" that have caused millions of people all around the world real harm.”
• Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.org
"In an industry that’s synonymous with greed, Jack Bogle was a lone wolf, swimming against the tide. When others were incentivised to enrich themselves, he stood by the ‘fiduciary’ standard – something that is badly needed in the financial industry of the UAE."
LAST-16 EUROPA LEAGUE FIXTURES
Wednesday (Kick-offs UAE)
FC Copenhagen (0) v Istanbul Basaksehir (1) 8.55pm
Shakhtar Donetsk (2) v Wolfsburg (1) 8.55pm
Inter Milan v Getafe (one leg only) 11pm
Manchester United (5) v LASK (0) 11pm
Thursday
Bayer Leverkusen (3) v Rangers (1) 8.55pm
Sevilla v Roma (one leg only) 8.55pm
FC Basel (3) v Eintracht Frankfurt (0) 11pm
Wolves (1) Olympiakos (1) 11pm
UAE Rugby finals day
Games being played at The Sevens, Dubai
2pm, UAE Conference final
Dubai Tigers v Al Ain Amblers
4pm, UAE Premiership final
Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Jebel Ali Dragons
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20NOTHING%20PHONE%20(2)
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Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
UFC Fight Night 2
1am – Early prelims
2am – Prelims
4am-7am – Main card
7:30am-9am – press cons
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Last 10 NBA champions
2017: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-1
2016: Cleveland bt Golden State 4-3
2015: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-2
2014: San Antonio bt Miami 4-1
2013: Miami bt San Antonio 4-3
2012: Miami bt Oklahoma City 4-1
2011: Dallas bt Miami 4-2
2010: Los Angeles Lakers bt Boston 4-3
2009: Los Angeles Lakers bt Orlando 4-1
2008: Boston bt Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
At Eternity’s Gate
Director: Julian Schnabel
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Oscar Isaacs, Mads Mikkelsen
Three stars
