Talk is cheap as Dubai-based Iranian boxer Ali Bayat prepares for Kabbani at Thursday Night Fights

A narrow defeat for Kabbani has prompted the Syrian to drum up his chances in Thursday's rematch, while Emirati Ali Bayat is not holding back either, writes Omar Al Raisi.

Emirati boxer Mohammad Ali Bayat has enjoyed ample time to train in Dubai ahead of Thursday’s bout, which was originally supposed to take place in October. Sarah Dea / The National

Mohammad Ali Bayat’s fight tomorrow night against fellow Dubai resident Abdul Kabbani has been a long time coming.

Thursday Night Fights at Yas Island – the first professional boxing night in the capital – was originally scheduled for mid-October, but was cancelled a few days before the event because of visa problems for one of the headline fighters.

At the time, Ali Bayat, 24, was in the midst of his training regimen. He took a few days off, refocused, then returned to the gym for the next two months in preparation for tomorrow, when he defends his three-fight unbeaten record.

“I am fit and ready for the fight. I have a great trainer, Abdullah Ghasemi, who pushes me every day,” Ali Bayat said.

One reason for Ali Bayat’s focused preparation is that his bout with Kabbani, nicknamed “the Syrian Brawler” is something of a grudge match.

Ali Bayat, the 2012 UAE Fighter of the Year, won the first match between the two on a decision, but since then, it has turned into a war of words.

Neither cruiserweight has been holding back.

“I will knock him out, Inshallah. Our last fight, I was not in good shape and yet I almost knocked him out,” said Kabbani (3-1), before taking the animosity a step further.

“I spoke to his girlfriend and she told me that Bayat was in bed for over a month after the last fight. This time, I will break every bone in his body.”

Ali Bayat (3-0) has been only slightly more reserved. They might both be new to the fight game, but they are sledging like veteran brawlers.

“First of all, I do not have a girl friend, and I have no idea what trash he is saying,” Ali Bayat said on Tuesday night. “His claims are baseless, because after I beat him and won, I had another fight after exactly 40 days.”

It has all the makings of a UAE grudge match, but Ali Bayat thinks boxing in the Emirates has a long way to go before it becomes as popular as in other Middle Eastern countries.

“If you talk Middle East, it’s a different story as you know,” he said. “Boxing is a big sport in other Middle Eastern countries but not so much in the UAE.”

According to the fighter, the lack of regular bouts can cause a problem.

“We have to focus on our training schedule, not worrying about organising a fight, it’s hard.

“I don’t have to worry what I am going to do this month or the next, I need to worry about training. Financially, there is not much support, not much media support, sponsors.”

Ali Bayat, who hopes to turn professional, sees Thursday Night Fights as a great opportunity for UAE boxers to progress. He hopes the fights will become a regular feature at the du Forum.

However, he is less than happy with United States-based promoters Lion Heart Boxing Promotions.

“I signed a one-fight contract, which was not what I expected financially,” said Ali Bayat, who called the initial offer “embarrassing”, but added that he did receive an improved offer.

“The only reason I am fighting is because my opponent Abdul Kabbani has been talking trash that he has beaten me, but that’s not true. I have beaten him in our previous fight.

“I want to prove him wrong in front of everyone now. I will show a class fight to the UAE fans.”

An encouraging sign for UAE-based fighters like Ali Bayat is that the International Boxing Organisation (IBO) recently teamed up with US broadcaster Showtime to create an IBO Middle East, a regulatory body for boxing in the region.

It is positive news for a sport that has seen the likes of Jiu-jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts emerge in this part of the world.

Ali Bayat refutes the idea that boxing is a dying art.

“Boxing can’t be dead because it’s a sport like football and it will stand the test of time,” he said. “Who is the highest-paid athlete in the world? Floyd Mayweather. What does he do? Boxing. His fight was watched by over 200 million fans worldwide, so whoever says that, they are wrong. It’s a classic sport.”

“IBO came here because there is a lot of potential here and they recognise that. I don’t know if the authorities want to build boxing here. If that is the case, that’s great news for us as boxers.”

Ali Bayat began his career as a swimmer and was part of the Iranian Olympics swimming team. “For some reasons I left swimming and just did nothing,” he said. “Put on a lot of weight. My father made me realise that I should not waste my talent and work hard and get back in shape.

“So I started kick-boxing as my workout to lose weight and that made me fall in love with boxing. So I kept training and learning and practicing and working hard to become a professional boxer.”

His boxing inspiration is David Haye, the British fighter, but his hero is his father.

“I have a lot of respect for [Haye]. I have trained with him for two weeks in the UK, he is a very good friend of mine. He is like my boxing idol.

“[But] my father, Abbas Bayat, is my hero, I wouldn’t be here if it was not because of him.

“He always keeps inspiring me and motivating me. He struggled and sacrificed a lot for me and he is an inspiration for me and keeps me moving forward.”

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