Organisers target October for Floyd Mayweather's exhibition bout at Burj Al Arab


John McAuley
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Organisers of the Global Titans exhibition boxing event in Dubai, which was to feature Floyd Mayweather as its headline act, are aiming to reschedule the fight night in October.

The inaugural Global Titans Fight Series show, titled “The Showcase in the Skies of Dubai”, was originally set for last Saturday on the Burj Al Arab helipad, but was postponed following the death of Sheikh Khalifa on Friday.

On Tuesday, multiple outlets reported the event had been rescheduled for this Saturday, after Mayweather and UFC great Anderson Silva, who also features on the four-fight boxing card, posted the news on Instagram.

However, organisers told The National on Wednesday that they are now targeting October given their desire to “respect the official mourning period”.

They added that, with the event being held outdoors, a new date after the summer was preferred “so we are considerate to the fighters and workers”.

Mayweather, a former five-weight world champion who retired unbeaten from professional boxing, was slated to face former sparring partner Don Moore at the top of the bill. Mayweather, 45, called time on a Hall of Fame career in 2017, with his pro record at 50-0.

Former UFC middleweight champion Silva, meanwhile, was expected to take on current UAE Warriors lightweight belt-holder Bruno Machado. Machado is a long-time Abu Dhabi resident.

On Friday, following the news of Sheikh Khalifa’s death, Mayweather posted on social media his condolences “to the entire UAE”. The American had been planning to wear the colours of the UAE flag inside the ring at Global Titans Dubai.

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Based: Riyadh

Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany

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If you go

The flights

Etihad flies direct from Abu Dhabi to San Francisco from Dh5,760 return including taxes. 

The car

Etihad Guest members get a 10 per cent worldwide discount when booking with Hertz, as well as earning miles on their rentals. A week's car hire costs from Dh1,500 including taxes.

The hotels

Along the route, Motel 6 (www.motel6.com) offers good value and comfort, with rooms from $55 (Dh202) per night including taxes. In Portland, the Jupiter Hotel (https://jupiterhotel.com/) has rooms from $165 (Dh606) per night including taxes. The Society Hotel https://thesocietyhotel.com/ has rooms from $130 (Dh478) per night including taxes. 

More info

To keep up with constant developments in Portland, visit www.travelportland.com. Good guidebooks include the Lonely Planet guides to Northern California and Washington, Oregon & the Pacific Northwest. 

 

Updated: May 18, 2022, 2:32 PM`