Former world champion Ricky Hatton says he’s popping out of retirement for a December bout in Dubai 13 years on from his final skilled boxing match.
The legendary Manchester fighter, who turns 47 in October, is about to combat Eisa Al Dah in Dubai in December 2.
Hatton final fought professionally in November 2012 when a knockout loss to Vyacheslav Senchenko dropped the Brit’s document to 45-3, however he did return to the ring for an exhibition bout with Marco Antonio Barrera in 2022.
The previous welterweight and light-welterweight world champion joined a livestream on Sunday confirming the combat, throughout which he revealed a watch harm had stopped him from attending the occasion in particular person.
Hatton stated: “I want I used to be there however I had a little bit dangerous harm on my eye. The primary factor is the combat will happen and I can not wait, I am actually wanting ahead to it.
“It’s just one of them freakish things, I caught one of my sunglasses in my eyes and I’m very fortunate it’s not done any permanent damage. It’s just scraped the surface, so fingers crossed we’re good to go.”
In his prime Hatton secured well-known victories over the likes of Kostya Tszyu and Jose Luis Castillo, earlier than happening to undergo brutal knockout losses to Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
Al Dah, who’s simply two months youthful than Hatton and can flip 47 in December, has solely fought as soon as professionally since 2012, which was a 2021 knockout defeat to Pedro Alejandro Delgado in Mexico. The UAE fighter holds an expert document of 8-3.
The announcement of Hatton’s return comes after Pacquiao introduced his personal comeback, with the 46-year-old Filipino preventing for a welterweight world title towards champion Mario Barrios on July 19 in Las Vegas.