DUBAI // The UAE's first professional boxer, fresh from sparring with Britain's Amir Khan in the United States, will return to the ring in the Emirates next month when he fights the Mexican welterweight Miguel Angel Munguia as part of the undercard for the Dubai International Boxing Championship.
Eisa Al Dah, 33, was due to fight Munguia on December 16 in Florida, but the bout was postponed one week before the event when his opponent suffered injury. The rescheduled fight will now take place on February 2 at The Aviation Club.
"I was ready before and I am even more ready now," Al Dah said yesterday on the sidelines of a press conference promoting the seven-fight event, to be headlined by the American mixed martial artist Bob Sapp.
"It will be a good fight. He has a good record - 22 wins with 19 KOs - but I have been training with Amir Khan and have more speed and more power now than ever before. My skill has improved so much and I will definitely beat him with my speed," added Al Dah, who has won seven of his nine fights.
Amir Shafiypour, Al Dah's manager, said he intends the event, which will see all profit donated to Dubai Autism, to become the first of many in the region, adding the goal is to have fights every three months.
"Every fight has some costs and to make the sport grow here, we need to build up a relationship between fight entertainment and the people," he said. "Once you build the market, you can then aim to fill up a good stadium and pay well to get the best fighters from around the world."
Al Dah made his professional debut in Dubai in March 2007, beating the American Larry Foster in a first round TKO. The decision was deemed controversial in local media as replays of the knockout punch showed contact was minimal. He has since been dividing his time between Dubai, Bristol, England and Tampa Bay, Florida.
