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MANILA, Philippines – Top Rank Inc. chief Bob Arum is planning to take his boxing promotions act to Dubai, and hopefully he’ll get Manny Pacquiao to fight in the rich emirate.
Speaking to Allaam Ousman of Emirates 24/7, Arum said he has started talks with Dubai-based promotional firm Akbar Productions regarding the staging of a boxing event in the United Arab Emirates’ most populous city.
If the fight card pushes through, Arum mulls bringing over Pacquiao to sit ringside.
“Right now we are planning November event. Hopefully Manny will come to it as a guest. We will have three of four title fights on the same night. It will be a spectacular event,” the promoter said.
Akbar Productions has reportedly expressed interest to host a Pacquiao fight in Dubai, and Arum is likewise keen on making it happen.
“If it is successful we will look forward to doing a Pacquiao fight in Dubai next year,” Arum added.
Pacquiao will sit out the rest of the year to let his shoulder injury heal. He is expected to fight twice more next year after losing to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in boxing’s richest bout in Las Vegas last month.
The Filipino icon is no stranger to fighting outside the United States, having seen action in Macau twice – against Brandon Rios and Chris Algieri.
Arum, for his part, confirmed Pacquiao’s interest in bringing his act to Dubai.
“Manny is also an adventurer. I proposed to him to fight in Macau. He was very taken with it. Both (fights) were very successful. He has always talked to me about fighting in Dubai. He always talked to me about it. He had visited Dubai,” said Arum.
In Dubai, Pacquiao could take on Amir Khan, who outpointed Algieri last Saturday in New York. The British fighter is also someone who has caught the attention of Akbar Productions.
And with the huge Filipino population in Dubai, Arum believes a Pacquiao fight will be massive over there.
“You got to understand so many Filipinos work in that area, so he feels at home being over there,” he added.
Source: Dino Maragay, 
