Abubaker back with a dust-up in Dubai

Abubaker and Manning…Amir’s out next month. Picture: Inga Zulyte

HUMAN wrecking ball Amir Abubaker returns after the first loss of his explosive career with a bout in Dubai.

Coventry’s former Midlands light-middleweight champ is scheduled to face Ariembi Isalah Odhiambo in the rich desert city on December 3. With the Kenyan yet to receive medical clearance, the six rounder is still to be formally confirmed.

For Kurdish KO artist Abubaker it appears a fairly undemanding assignment following defeat to Carl Fail in his first major arena appearance. In July, red-hot prospect Fail took the 25-year-old’s Midlands title in eight.

Before that, Abubaker had steamrollered his way to nine wins, six coming early.

Odhiambo may be the seventh to taste defeat before the final bell. The 38-year-old, who has fought exclusively in Dubai, has won three of 10 and been stopped twice.

He’s yet to register an inside distance win and last time out Liverpool born Jak Corrie finished him in a single round.

“We need to get Amir back to winning ways,” said Abubaker’s Birmingham manager Anthony Manning.

“The opportunity came up because he’s been networking in Dubai and someone reached out. He’s doing business over there and building his brand.”

Abubaker, born in Iraq, is a frequent visitor to the tourist trap and has a major fanbase in the Middle East.

“Amir is there to do a job,” Manning said of the December clash at the Agenda Arena. “Sometimes when you’re coming back from defeat you face two fights – you’re fighting your opponent and your own demons.”

But Manning stressed the loss to Fail has failed to dent Abubaker’s self-belief, which was always all-consuming.

“He’s always been very confident,” he said. “It’s made him look at his approach to boxing and helped him to work on his weaknesses as well as strengths. It’s made him think a little more.

“We’re looking to get him back to winning ways and contest the English title at some stage.”

The Dubai date is among a cluster of high-profile bouts for Manning’s boxers.  On November 30 Mykey Lee Broughton faces Yaser Al Ghena at York Hall, Bethnal Green, for the English and WBO European super-lightweight titles. A day earlier, featherweight Josh Rose boxes on the major BBC televised show in Derby headlined by Fazier Clarke and TKV.

And on December 20 – admittedly in Birmingham, but on rival promoters’ BCB’s show - Brad Coley faces Brad Thompson for the Midlands flyweight title.