Two of the UAE’s most exciting boxers, Fahad ‘Kid Emirati’ Al Bloushi and Sultan Al Nuaimi continue their journey towards international fame when Rising Stars Arabia returns for its much-anticipated third instalment in March.
Created by Emirati boxing impresario Ahmed Seddiqi, ‘Rising Stars Arabia 3’ is promoted by AAM Seddiqi Sports and sponsored by the Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi.
Conceptualised to showcase emerging Arab talent on a worldwide platform, the action-packed card will be held on Saturday, March 2, at a purpose-built outdoor arena at the picturesque Yas Links Golf Course in Abu Dhabi.
All fights will be streamed live on DAZN and ESPN Knockout, as well as broadcast on Abu Dhabi Sports TV. The action will commence at 8 p.m. UAE Standard Time (11 a.m. EST and 8 a.m. PST).
After the overwhelming success of ‘Rising Stars Arabia’ 1 & 2 in September 2023 and January 2024, boxing fans have been eagerly anticipating the return of the series to discover even more underrated veterans of the ring and promising prospects from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia region.
The one-of-a-kind Rising Stars Arabia series is sanctioned by the Middle East Professional Boxing Commission.
AAM Seddiqi Sports is driven by Ahmed Seddiqi who owns the celebrated Round 10 Gym in Dubai. Seddidqi, who fell head over heels in love with boxing after watching the 2005 thrilled in Las Vegas where Diego Corrales staged a herculean comeback to defeat Jose Luis Castillo, has been passionately promoting and managing fighters in the Middle East for over ten years. He boasts a stable of over 30 local, regional and global fighters most of whom who train out of Round 10 Gym in Al Quoz.
The 10-round main event at ‘Rising Stars Arabian 3’ will see Moroccan super featherweight Jaouad ‘The Moroccan Bomber’ Belmehdi (19-1-3, 9 KOs) square off against the No.1 ranked Ghanaian and African star and still undefeated Ghanaian Alfred ‘Bukom Bomber’ Lamptey (13-0, 9 KOs).
Belmehdi is a former French Lightweight Champion who is riding a three-fight win streak. His most notable victories to date have been against Germany’s James Chereji (19-3-0), Tunisian-born French fighter Sabri Sediri (14-3-1) via a first-round TKO and France’s Meyyl Vegas (23-8-1 ) against whom he forced a fourth-round stoppage.
The 21-year-old Lamptey is a former World Boxing Council (WBC) Youth Silver, World Boxing Organization (WBO) Youth and Ghana super featherweight champion.
Hometown favourite Al Bloushi (13-1, 3 KOs) is riding an explosive 12-fight win streak into the eight-round co-featured event against Venezuelan lightweight Andres Garcia (14-7-1, 11 KOs).
Al Bloushi, who sensationally defeated experienced Venezuelan fighter Milner Marcano via a sixth-round TKO at ‘Rising Stakes Arabia 2’ is the most celebrated Emirati boxer of all-time with 13 wins from 14 professional fights.
Undefeated Emirati super flyweight Sultan Al Nuaimi (10-0, 6 KOs), who made history at the Asian Games when he scored the first-ever boxing win for the UAE, faces dangerous Venezuelan Eliu Canario (14-3, 11 KOs) in a 10-round bout.
Elsewhere promising Iraqi light heavyweight prospect Amer Kadhum Ghaneem (3-0, 1 KO) faces the toughest test of his burgeoning career when he meets WBC Asian Continental Super Middleweight Champion Wulamu Tulake (11-3-1, 6 KOs), of China.
Arguably, the most intriguing match-up on the undercard is a 10-round welterweight clash between Egyptian welterweight Abdumonem ‘Braveheart’ Said (23-3-1, 11 KOs), a former Egyptian Super Welterweight Champion, and undefeated 22-year-old Indian pugilist Faizan Anwar (16-0, 8 KOs).
Other undercard bouts include a trio of four-round contests. Egyptian super welterweight Ramy Magdi (3-2-1, 0 KOs) faces Uganda’s Issac Zebra, Jr. (2-0, 2 KOs), Egyptian cruiserweight Youssef Karrar (3-0, 2 KOs) meets pro debuting Ukrainian Mykyta Ionin and Egyptian featherweight Mostafa Mohammed Fahmi Komsan (1-0, 1 KO) is set to take on an opponent to be announced shortly.
ALSO READ