In a groundbreaking night for boxing in the Middle East, Jordanian lightweight Bader “The Master” Samreen (9-0, 8 KOs) took center stage against veteran Jose “Cuate” Paez Gonzales (16-3-2, 12 KOs) in the main event of the inaugural Rising Stars Arabia (RSA) series. This monumental event marked the first of its kind in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the broader Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Sanctioned by the Middle East Professional Boxing Commission, the event was promoted by AAM Seddiqi Sports and had the sponsorship backing of the Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi).
Samreen, the first professional boxer hailing from Jordan, relocated his base to Dubai due to insufficient boxing facilities in his home country. At 23 years old, Samreen seized the main event opportunity when Moussa Gholam suffered an injury that prevented him from headlining the RSA card streamed live on DAZN. Samreen dominated the first four rounds against Gonzales and secured a technical knockout in the fifth.
Local star Sultan Al Nuaimi (10-0, 6 KOs) also had a night to remember in his first 10-round fight, taking a decisive 10-round decision from super flyweight Jemsi Kibazange (19-4, 5 KOs). Al Nuaimi recovered from an early knockdown, turning the tide in the final four rounds.
Syrian cruiserweight Mohammed “The Destroyer” Bekhash (26-0, 23 KOs), fighting out of Germany, kept his winning streak alive with a knockout win over Musa “Hitman” Ntege (8-5, 6 KOs), marking his 14th consecutive stoppage victory.
In another highlight, Jordanian Bishara Sabbar (7-0, 4 KOs) won the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) Youth Silver World super featherweight title with an eight-round unanimous decision over Mohd Azahar (8-6-1, 7 KOs).
The fight night also featured some controversies. The local commission overruled a first-round stoppage of welterweight Sheldon Schultz in his pro debut by Egyptian Olympian Marwan Mohamad Madboly (2-0, 1 KO). Madboly dropped Schultz, but the commission ruled the bout a no contest due to an unintentional punch while Schultz was down.
Egyptian Olympian Yousef Karrar (2-0, 1 KO) scored his first pro knockout when heavyweight Muhammad Muzeei (0-1) couldn’t continue after two rounds. Iranian welterweight Benyamin Moradzadeh made an impressive pro debut with a unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Rohit Choudhary (4-1-2, 0 KOs).
Others like Yousuf Ali (3-0, 0 KOs) from Bahrain and UAB middleweight Fahad Al Koori (2-0, 2 KOs) also secured victories, making it a memorable night for boxing enthusiasts in the MENA region.