Ricky “Hitman” Hatton will lace them up again on December 2 in Dubai, sharing a ring with 46-year-old “Arabian Warrior” Eisa Al Dah. The Hall-of-Famer hasn’t fought competitively since his 2012 stoppage loss to Vyacheslav Senchenko, and last boxed in a 2022 exhibition against Marco Antonio Barrera.
In a candid social-media statement, Hatton acknowledged concerns about his health but asked fans for trust: “I’m 47 by fight night, but I know what fights are good for me. This gives me focus and keeps me healthy.” The Mancunian icon, inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2024, has long spoken of post-career battles with drink, drugs and suicidal thoughts; he believes a structured camp will aid his mental well-being.
Hatton pointed to similar late-career returns by Mike Tyson, Manny Pacquiao, and Shane Mosley: “We’re fighters, it’s what we do.” He emphasized this is no world-title chase, just “a good and sensible fight” between age-matched veterans.
Training fighters remains Hatton’s day job, but from now until December the focus shifts back to himself. “I can’t wait to start camp, train hard and feel good… please trust me,” he wrote. For the beloved Hitman, purpose, and perhaps peace, awaits under Dubai’s lights.
Fight card:
▪️Ricky Hatton vs. Eisa Al Dah, 8 rounds, middleweight
