22 September 2026 · 3 min read
BATL Promotions brought championship contests, international names and a record number of Emirati professionals together across two action-packed nights at Meydan.
Dubai’s boxing community gathered at Meydan on 18 and 19 September as BATL Promotions delivered a masterclass two-night professional boxing showcase. The weekend combined emerging local talent, international prospects and established champions, but, more importantly, demonstrated the increasingly visible pathway available to fighters developing within the UAE.
Jamie Cormack from BATL Promotions Talks Double-Header Weekend with FYYTR CEO Saima AjramFYYTR OfficialWatch on YouTubeThree New Champions Crowned on Friday
Friday’s card was built around fighters whose careers have been developed through the UAE boxing scene. Ammir Khan produced a decisive second-round knockout victory over Sumit to become the new WBC Asia Continental light-heavyweight champion. Michael Roos captured the WBC Asia Continental super-middleweight title with victory over Rattawut Thongaram, while Jordanian-Palestinian prospect Asaad Touqan defeated Gaurav Bisht to claim the WBC Asia Youth super-middleweight championship.
The three title victories provided a major conclusion to an evening that also featured a wide mix of UAE-based and international talent.
Friday Winners
Aleksandra Sitnikova Artem Oganesyan Jonibek Khamidjonov Glen Lynch Anahit Aroyan Faisal Al Ansari Jesus Gamboa Ibrahim Yousif Al Ali Aaron Darby Asaad Touqan Michael Roos Ammir Khan For fighters building their careers in the Emirates, competing for recognised regional titles without leaving the country represents meaningful progress. It gives developing professionals access to stronger opportunities while allowing local supporters to follow their journeys from the beginning.
Emirati Fighters Make Their Mark on Saturday
Saturday’s card brought another important milestone for UAE boxing, with four Emirati professional fighters appearing and winning on the same event. Amer Al Suwaider, Ammar Tayel, Abdullah Marjan and Saif Alhaj all had their hands raised, making the evening a significant showcase for homegrown professional talent. The importance of those victories should not be understated. Sustainable growth cannot depend solely on international fighters arriving for isolated events. The UAE needs active local professionals, consistent matchmaking and stages where emerging fighters can build their records, profiles and support. Saturday also featured the return of former world champion James “Jazza” Dickens. The Dubai-based Liverpool fighter secured a points victory over Tanzania’s Ramadhani Kimwaga as he began his pursuit of another opportunity at world level. Cruiserweight Yan Zak delivered one of the weekend’s standout finishes, stopping Peter Msyoka in the fourth round after sending the Tanzanian to the canvas three times.
Saturday's winners
Demur Kajaia Dennis Mawanda Amer Al Suwaider Artur Kamev Pushpender Rathi Ammar Tayel Anis Chilaev Abdullah Marjan Tamba Merlin James “Jazza” Dickens Yan Zak Saif Alhaj
More Than Two Fight Nights
The strength of BATL’s double-header was not based on one headline contest. It came from bringing different levels of the boxing pathway together. Emerging professionals shared the platform with title contenders. Emirati boxers competed alongside established international fighters. Young prospects could see a route from the amateur gyms of the UAE to championship-level professional contests at Meydan. That is how a boxing ecosystem develops. Events must also create stories that continue after the final bell. Fighters need visibility, accurate records and platforms through which supporters, coaches, managers, promoters and matchmakers can follow what happens next. For NXT Fight, that is the wider significance of weekends like this. Twenty-four fighters left Meydan with victories, but the biggest winner was the UAE boxing community. BATL’s two-night showcase offered further evidence that the country is not simply hosting professional boxing, it is beginning to develop its own fighters, champions and connected boxing identity. The pathway is becoming clearer. The opportunities are becoming bigger. UAE boxing is moving forward.