ABU DHABI: Rising Stars Arabia, the first fighting series of its kind in the UAE and the MENA region, is set to host a milestone event on Sept. 9 at Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Arena.
The event is promoted by AAM Seddiqi Sports and sponsored by the Department of Culture and Tourism — Abu Dhabi.
The series aims to provide a platform to showcase the best of Arab boxing talent to an international and regional audience.
“Seddiqi Sports has pioneered the sport in the region, and we recently celebrated our 10-year anniversary of opening Round 10 boxing club in the UAE,” founder Ahmed A. Seddiqi said. “It’s time to show the world that in addition to hosting major events in the region, we also have homegrown talents that can perform at the highest level of boxing and become superstars of the sport. We are proud to host this monumental event in Abu Dhabi and would like to thank DCT Abu Dhabi for believing in us and putting their trust in the RSA platform.”
Sanctioned by the Middle East Professional Boxing Commission, the RSA event will be broadcasted live on regional and international platforms such as Abu Dhabi Sports TV and ESPN Knockout, further bolstering Abu Dhabi’s reputation as the combat sports capital of the Arabian Peninsula.
Saleh Al-Geziry, director general for tourism at DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “The arrival of Rising Stars Arabia in the emirate further cements Abu Dhabi’s status as a regional hub for combat sports and other major athletic events and franchises. We remain committed to enabling the development of homegrown talent and are proud to support this impressive line-up of Emirati and Arab fighters who are helping to promote and elevate the sport in the UAE and wider region.
“With this ground-breaking fight series, not only are we nurturing a sport, we are proving once again that Abu Dhabi is a premier tourism destination offering diverse and exciting entertainment experiences to our residents and visitors from around the world.”
Headlining the first event is the fight between Moroccan talent Moussa Gholam (20-1-0, 12 KOs), currently ranking 14th in the WBC, against former world title challenger Matias Carlos Adrian Rueda (37-2-0, 32 KOs). This fight marks Gholam’s debut in the Middle East, and both fighters are in line to be world title contenders.
The co-main event will feature the UAE’s own Sultan Al-Nuaimi (9-0-0, 6 KOs) in a 10-round bout, who will take on Jemsi Kibazange (18-6-2, 5 KOs) from Tanzania. Sultan, known for his speed and agility, made waves with his impressive performance at the last event promoted by Matchroom Boxing in Abu Dhabi.
Al-Nuaimi is one of only a few professional boxers in the country and is a previous UAE champion in the amateur divisions.
Bader Samreen of Jordan, who boasts eight wins and seven claimed knockouts, will be stepping into the ring against experienced Mexican fighter Jose Gonzales, with 16 wins to his name.
The event will also feature Jordanian boxer Bishara Sabbar (6-0-0, 4KOs) and India’s Mohd Azahar (8-5-1, 7KOs) going head-to-head for the WBC Youth World Title. Other notable fighters participating in the event include two youth Olympian boxers from Egypt Cruiser weight, Youssef Karrar (1-0-0, 0KO), and Marwan Mohamad Madboly (2-0-0, 1KO). Other bouts will include fighters from Iran, Bahrain and Morocco.
