Ricky Hatton will reportedly come out of retirement to take on Dubai’s first-ever professional boxer Eisa Al Dah in a bout in the Middle East on December 2
Katy Hallam and James Whaling
23:14, 06 Jul 2025
Ricky Hatton with Liam and Noel Gallagher(Image: PA)
British boxing legend Ricky Hatton is set to come out of retirement for a showdown in Dubai later this year, it has emerged.
According to reports, the former two-weight world champ is slated to face Eisa Al Dah, Dubai’s inaugural professional boxer, on December 2.
Now at age 46, Hatton hasn’t stepped into the ring for a professional fight since his bout with Vyachslav Senchenko back in Manchester in 2012.
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That clash happened three and a half years after he initially retired following a loss to Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas.
Following his defeat by Senchenko in the ninth round, Hatton remarked: “I needed one more fight to see if I had still got it – and I haven’t. I found out tonight it isn’t there no more.”
Yet, over a decade later, The Sun reports that ‘The Hitman’ will make a sensational comeback to the sport. Just this Friday, Hatton was spotted enjoying the Oasis reunion concert in Cardiff as the Manchester band returned to the stage after a 16-year hiatus.
Interestingly, during the peak of his fighting days, Noel and Liam Gallagher would accompany him to the ring, and now it seems Hatton is gearing up for his own high-profile return, reports the Mirror.
A press conference in Dubai was allegedly in the works for Hatton to officially announce the upcoming fight, but plans were reportedly disrupted by an eye injury he sustained while at the Oasis event.
Hatton remains one of the UK’s most beloved boxers, famed for rallying vast numbers of fans to follow him to Las Vegas for major matchups against Floyd Mayweather, Paulie Malignaggi, and Pacquiao.
Before his bout with Mayweather at the MGM Grand in 2007, the Brit boasted an impeccable 43-0 record, making it one of the most anticipated fights in boxing history.
Hatton, as eloquent with his words as he was with his punches, taunted Mayweather leading up to the fight but fell short on the night, succumbing in the 10th round to the undisputed champion.
Victories over Juan Lazcano and Malignaggi ensued, but a brutal knockout by Pacquiao in May 2009’s second round marked what seemed to be Hatton’s farewell to boxing.
However, a triumphant return to the Manchester Arena against Senchenko in November 2012 was followed by an un-scored exhibition match against Marco Antonio Barrera in 2022.