Bader Samreen replaces injured Moussa Gholam for Abu Dhabi main event

Due to a training camp injury suffered by Moussa Gholam, undefeated Jordanian lightweight prospect Bader “The Master” Samreen (8-0, 7 KOs) has been elevated to the 10-round main event for this Saturday’s launch of the Rising Stars Arabia (RSA) series, the first of its kind in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Samreen will face veteran Mexican fighter Jose “Cuate” Paez Gonzales (16-2-2, 12 KOs) in the milestone event, promoted by AAM Seddiqi Sports and sponsored by the Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), steaming live on DAZN from Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Arena. It is sanctioned by the Middle East Professional Boxing Commission.

The first professional boxer from Jordan, Samreen captured a bronze medal at the prestigious 2018 AIBA Youth World Championships as an amateur. When he turned pro in 2021, he moved to Dubai because Jordan didn’t have proper boxing facilities for professionals.

Samreen gained invaluable exposure in the boxing world fighting on the undercard of two major pay-per-view events held in Saudi Arabia, Oleksandr Usyk-Anthony Joshua II, and Jake Paul-Tommy Fury.

Gonzales has a 10-1-2 record in his last 13 fights.

The 10-round co-featured event, UAE super flyweight prospect Sultan Al Nuaimi (9-0, 6 KOs) meets Jemsi Kibazange (18-6-3, 5KOs), of Tanzania. Al Nuaimi, known for his speed and agility, is a hometown favorite in UAE, where he is one of only a few professional boxers in addition to being an amateur champion there.

Undefeated cruiserweight force Mohammed “The Destroyer” Bekdash (25-0, 22 KOs), fighting out of Germany by way of his native Syria, has been added to the card in an eight-round bout versus Musa “Hitman” Ntege (8-4, 6 KOs), of Uganda. The hard-hitting Bekdash is riding a 13-fight knockout streak dating back to 2015.

Another Jordanian boxer, Bishara Sabbar (6-0-0, 4KOs), is matched against India’s Mohd Azahar (8-5-1, 7KOs) in an eight-round bout for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) Youth World super featherweight title.

Also fighting on the undercard are a pair of Egyptian Olympians, welterweight Marwan Mohamad Madboly (2-0, 1 KOs) and heavyweight Youssef Karrar (1-0, 0 KOs, fighting in six and four-round matches, respectively, against South African Sheldon Schultz (4-4, 4 KOs), and pro-debuting Muhammad Muzeei, of Uganda.

Unbeaten welterweight Rohit Choudhary (4-0-2, KOs), of India, is matched against Iran’s pro-debuting Benyamin Moradzadeh in a six-rounder, while Bahrain featherweight Yousuf Ali (2-0, 0 KOs) faces Semugenyi Alex (0-1), of Uganda, in a four-round contest.