Former WBO junior middleweight titleholder Sadam Ali will end a six-year layoff on August 31 when he returns to the ring at the Wayne State Fieldhouse in Detroit, Michigan.
Ali, 27-3 (14 KOs), of Brooklyn, New York will face an opponent to be named in a ten-round fight. Ali, now 36, was scheduled to return to the ring in February, but withdrew from the fight after suffering an injury in training.
Ali, a 2008 U.S. Olympian, last fought in 2009, when he was stopped in three rounds by Anthony Young in Las Vegas. Ali says his break from the sport was a necessary step to recharge his batteries.
“I took some time off because I’ve been fighting my whole life since I was 8 years old,” Ali said. “I have accomplished becoming a U.S. Olympian and world champion. I miss boxing and I miss the excitement of being in the ring. I’ve noticed as long as I’m focused and determined nothing can stop me. Now, I am back ready to show what else I can do.
Now Ali, who has fought most of his career in the New York City area, will make his first appearance in Michigan, a place where he says he had always wanted to fight.
“I have fought numerous times in my hometown, New York City, and became a world champion in Madison Square Garden. For so many years, I have noticed I have a huge fanbase in Michigan and I have never gotten the chance to fight there. This is the time to put on a great performance for all my fans in Michigan. This return is not a one-time fight; I am determined to relive my previous career. I’ve been world champion before, and I am set to become world champion again.”
Ali isn’t the only former champion returning to the ring on the card.
Richard Commey, 30-5-1 (27 KOs), will make his first ring appearance since March of 2023, when he was knocked out in eleven rounds by Jose Ramirez. He will compete in an eight round welterweight fight against an opponent to be named.
Other fighters scheduled for action include Husam Al Mashhadi, 12-1 (10 KOs), of nearby Dearborn Heights, Michigan in an eight round junior middleweight bout, plus Brooklyn-based bantamweight Khalid Twaiti, 14-1 (5 KOs), in a ten round bout. Both boxers will face opponents to be named.
Doors open at 3 p.m. with the first bout scheduled for 4 p.m.
