“I came to Dubai in 2019,” Anwar explained. “Coming to Dubai was always one of my dreams because there are more opportunities in Dubai for professional boxers than for me at home in India. Middle East countries have become the hub of boxing and other combat sports.

“I was proud to be the No. 1 pound-for-pound pro boxer in India. It was amazing to see my name at the top of that list with some veterans behind me who I looked up to when I was an amateur. My target isn’t just to be No. 1 in India, but to be on top globally, and soon it will be. I want to be the first Indian [male] to be world champion [in the pro ranks].”

Anwar knocked out Abdumonem Said in the opening round this past March in RSA3, and the slick southpaw is looking forward to extending his unbeaten streak to 18 in a row with a victory over Erdogan.

“Me and my coaches have watched videos of Erdogan’s fights. I’m not underestimating him. He is strong, fast and technical. We have a plan for him that everyone will see May 25th. This will be a classic boxing match that may go the distance but, if a knockout happens, good, and if not we will keep it simple.”

On the undercard, lightweight Bader “The Master” Al-Dherat (10-0, 8 KOs) and super flyweight Sultan Al Nuami (11-0, 7 KOs) will also see action.

Al-Dherat, 23, was the first pro boxer in his native Jordan, but he also relocated to Dubai. He headlines RSA4 in the 10-round main event versus Orlando Mosquera (13-2-1, 2 KOs).

Al Nuaimi, representing the United Arab Emirates, is matched against Muhsin Kizota (20-4, 12 KOs), of Tanzania, in a 10-rounder. Al Nuaimi was a two-time national champion as an amateur and he also became the first boxer in UAE history to win a bout in the Asian Games.

In the 10-round, co-featured event, Moroccan super featherweight Moussa Gholam (21-1, 13 KOs) plans to continue his march back into top 15 world ratings against his Chinese opponent, Lingjie Xia (9-0-2, 2 KOs).

Super featherweight Fahad “Kid Emirati” Al Bloushi (14-1, 3 KOs), the UAE’s most experienced pro boxer, rides a 13-fight win streak into his eight-round bout with Tanzania’s Ibrahim “The Puncher” Makubi (11-2-1, 6 KOs).  

Unbeaten Egyptian welterweight Marwan Mohamad Madboly (3-0, 2 KOs) faces a more experienced rival, Filipino brawler Rimar “Terminator” Metuda (17-8-1, 11 KOs), in a six-round fight. Madboy’s countryman, super featherweight Mostafa Mohammad Fahmi Komsan (2-0, 2 KOs), meets Hamza Rguibi (2-1, 1 KO), of Morocco, in another six-rounder.

Two more six-round bouts are on tap as Ugandan lightweight “King“ Fahad Mulindwa (7-4, 3 KOs) fights Mohamed Salah Abdelghany (4-4, 0 KOs), of Egypt, and Lebanese super middleweight Nadim Salloum (12-2, 6 KOs) clashes with C Lalhruaitluanga (7-1, 3 KOs), of India.

Also fighting on the undercard in four-round matches is Kuwait super welterweight Eissa Eidan (1-0, 0 KOs) vs. Pakistan’s Shahzada Sohail (0-4), and Syrian heavyweight Kenan Marai (1-0, 1 KO) vs. Afghanistan’s pro-debuting Ahmadzai Abdulahi (1-1, 1 KO).