IMAGO / Action Plus

Boxing Legend And Former Fighter Of the Year To Return To The Ring At 46

Originally posted on KO on SI | By Joseph Hammond | Last updated Jul 6, 2025 5:46 PM ET

Despite having been retired for 13 years, Ricky Hatton MBE appears set to come out of retirement this year.

The British boxing legend is set to return to the ring in Dubai on December 2nd.

Hatton, known for his relentless pressure and hardcore fanbase, held multiple world titles in two weight classes. During his ring career, he faced some of the biggest names of his era, from Floyd Mayweather to Manny Pacquiao.

Hatton announced the fight, saying:

Fight! Fight! Fight!
It’s official.
2nd December 2025
The Agenda, Dubai.@HitmanHatton

Fight! Fight! Fight!
It’s official.
2nd December 2025
The Agenda, Dubai.#boxing #fight #fighter #event pic.twitter.com/hxIfcT8Q99
— Ricky Hatton MBE (@HitmanHatton) July 6, 2025

He was last in the ring in 2012 against Vyacheslav Senchenko. Before that, he was stopped by Manny Pacquiao in the second round of their 2009 fight. He was named Fighter of the Year by The Ring magazine, the Boxing Writers Association of America, and ESPN, all in 2005. He was admitted to the International Boxing Hall of Fame last year. In 2022, he fought an exhibition match with former Mexican champion Marco Antonio Barrera at the AO Arena in Manchester.

His opponent for the Dubai rematch is Eisa Al Dah. Al Dah, the “Arabian Warrior,” bills himself as the first professional boxer in the history of the Arabian Peninsula countries. It will also be a comeback fight for Al Dah. The Emirati boxer last fought in 2021 when he was knocked out in the first round by Pedro Alejandro Delgado in Mexico City.

While Hatton had a vastly more significant career, the two fighters have one thing in common – they are both currently 46 years old.

This article first appeared on KO on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: