Fight fans have been surprised by the news that legendary boxer Ricky ‘The Hitman’ Hatton is set to return to the ring in December, 2 months after he turns 47. Hatton is set to take on Eisa Al Dah of the United Arab Emirates in Dubai, with details of the bout still to be made clear.
Fight organisers have revealed that it will be a professional fight, but it is unclear whether there will be conditions like shorter rounds. Hatton last fought in 2022 in an exhibition against Antonio Barrera and last fought professionally in 2012 against Vyacheslav Senchenko.
Boxing fans interested in this and other fights will be able to find odds across operators that offer legal sports betting in Canada, that offer great bonuses, instant withdrawals, and several other attractive features. With his opponent turning 47 just a few weeks after the bout, it should be a relatively even fight.
Hatton retired in 2012 after suffering two stoppage defeats in a row against Senchenko and Manny Pacquiao, respectively, but retirement hasn’t been plain sailing for the English fighter. Substance abuse issues and continued mental health struggles have dogged him, and being able to focus on his fight prep is one of the main reasons he is taking on this challenge.
Hatton turned professional in September 1997, going on to make a strong impression among promoters and experts. Hatton won the WBO inter-continental light-welterweight title, his first title, in 1999, beating Dillon Drew. A unification bout saw him win the WBA Inter-Continental title against Giuseppe Lauri before he won the British title on points over Jon Thaxton.
Across his career, Hatton took part in 48 fights, winning 45 and losing just 3. The 3 fights he lost were all by KO, while 32 of his victories came the same way.
Since retiring, Hatton has appeared on a variety of TV shows, including the 2024 UK Dancing on Ice competition, where he was the first to be voted off.
His fight against Eisa Al Dah is scheduled to take place in Dubai on December 2nd, when he will take on the United Arab Emirates’ first-ever pro-boxer. Al Dah has an 8-3 professional record, with 4 KOs. His last fight came in 2021 when he fell to defeat against Pedro Alejandro Delgado, but he does have a good history against British fighters, having beaten Karl Taylor and Wayne Downing in 2008 and 2009.
This is not the first time that boxers have returned to the ring at older ages, with Manny Pacquiao also returning to action at 46. A 58-year-old Mike Tyson caused shockwaves across the sport when he returned to fight YouTuber and social media personality Jake Paul in 2024, while George Foreman was 48 when he last fought.
The title for oldest professional fighter goes to Englishman Steve Ward, who last fought in 2017 at the ripe age of 61, and going by this, Hatton could have another few years ahead of him if he is successful in his December fight.