Here’s how it all went down at one of the biggest fight nights Dubai has ever seen
On Friday evening boxing royalty, Dubai elite and some of the biggest content creators in the world gathered at FIVE Palm Jumeriah for Knockout Night, one of the biggest mixed martial arts and fight nights Dubai has ever seen.
Read moreFormer WBC Super Middleweight and WBA Light Heavyweight Champion, Badou Jack took another step outside of the ring and in his entrepreneurial ventures by hosting his first ever Boxing/Kickboxing card under the newly established Badou Jack Promotions & Events LLC at the Five Palm Jumeirah resort in Dubai on Friday, May 3rd.
The former 2 division champion launched his UAE based company earlier this year & plans on establishing Dubai as the “Las Vegas of the Middle East”. “Badou Jack Promotions just put on our first event featuring an amazing night of professional Boxing and Kickboxing in front of a sold out crowd on Friday and we are just getting started” stated Badou Jack.
Dubai: FIVE Palm Jumeirah’s Vista Ballroom, Dubai’s spanking new entertainment venue, was home to an evening of explosive championship boxing on Thursday night that threatened the bring the roof down on an elite gathering of celebrities and A listers
Right from the opening bell that signalled the start of the multinational fight-card the audience were treated to a series of adrenaline-filled contests that culminated in a thrilling headline act that saw the emergence of an exciting new cruiserweight boxing sensation, Viddal Riley.
Weigh-ins for Dubai’s latest adrenaline pumping event in boxing and kickboxing, the Knockout Night showcasing the very best of international and regional boxers and kickboxers, was held at The Penthouse FIVE Palm Jumeirah on Thursday.
A premium lifestyle hotel, FIVE Palm Jumeirah have joined forces with Two Division World Champion Badou Jack Promotions to present this landmark event to be held on Friday that will also feature local fighters, including Majid Al Nagbi and Saudi Arabia’s Julaidan Abdulfatah.
From almost next to nothing to two top events in the space of two months, Dubai, the Maximum City, couldn’t have asked for anything more.
After Round 10 Boxing Club hosted ‘The Fight DXB Uncovered’ last month with two belts – the WBC International super-flyweight title and the WBO European featherweight title on the line, the city braces itself for another big boxing event titled ‘Knockout Night at FIVE Palm Jumeirah,’ on Friday night.
Badou Jack Promotions and Events’ first event will have YouTube sensation and amateur boxer KSI and two-time world boxing champion Amir Khan in attendance. Former world boxing champion Badou Jack has launched a UAE-based events company.
Badou Jack Promotions and Events will mark its debut on Friday May 3 next, with a boxing and mixed martial arts event at Five Palm Jumeriah in Dubai.
It has been 22 years since the first professional boxing event took place in the UAE. It was at the Aviation Club Tennis Centre (now the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium) that ex-super middleweight champion Chris Eubank knocked out unheralded Colombian Camilo Alarcon in the fourth round – claiming the final victory of his boxing career.
But while Eubank has remained a frequent visitor to the UAE since, professional boxing has not.
Despite a lack of pro events, Dubai and Abu Dhabi have been mentioned frequently as destinations for high-profile fights, with the likes of Amir Khan and Manny Pacquiao notably angling to box in the emirates. Time after time, however, boxing fans have been left disappointed.
Dubai is a location primed to host boxing’s glitz and glamour. It’s a matter of when, not if, a world title fight will be held in the UAE. But that when seems so far away right now.
The biggest names – most recently Manny Pacquiao and Amir Khan two years ago – have proposed clashes in the region, yet one of such magnitude has not occurred since Chris Eubank fought at the Aviation Club back in 1997.
Two-division world champion and philanthropist Badou Jack has officially launched Badou Jack Promotions and Events LLC in the United Arab Emirates, as he continues to grow his portfolio of ventures outside of the ring.
“I am looking forward to bringing a lot of excitement to Dubai with some very entertaining combat sports events,” said Jack. “This is a great opportunity to take the next step in my career with this promotional company. We’re looking to build something with the fighters and the fans that will become part of the fabric of the entertainment culture in this region.”