Ziyad Almaayouf hoping to shine and inspire next generation of Saudi fighters
Jan 14, 2025 • 1:00 AM ET
Saudi Arabian welterweight Ziyad Almaayouf said he feels empowered to be his country’s flag-bearer for boxing on a global stage.
The 6-0-1 (1 KOs) Almaayouf is keen to play his part in growing the sport in Saudi Arabia, where he will box on the February 22 bill topped by the mouth-watering light heavyweight rematch between unified light heavyweight king Artur Beterbiev and challenger Dmitry Bivol.
“Zizo” drew with 5-6 Juan Carlos Ramirez Garcia in Riyadh in November. He is hoping to inspire the next generation of Saudi Arabia fighters and is representing his country on the card alongside 2-0 junior lightweight Mohammed Alakel.
“I’ve said it before and I want to say it again, this is a multi-generational story where every generation we see a power puncher, every generation we see a fast puncher, but it’s only multi-generational where you see the history-makers, where you see the people who are representing not just a country but the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, but a whole side of the world and the Arab world in such a powerful place like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, not just carrying our dreams, our hopes, or our pressures, but the pressures of millions on our back, and me and Mohammed are doing that on this card,” said Almaayouf.
“And I’m so proud to see another Saudi fighter here today, and I’m so proud that there are two Saudi fighters on this card and one day you will see a table full of us and another day you will see a whole card full of Saudi fighters. And I am not going to stop until I see that. I have always said this is more than just about boxing. This is bigger than me. This is bigger than boxing… I want to see you all shine.”
Tris Dixon covered his first amateur boxing fight in 1996. The former editor of Boxing News, he has written for a number of international publications and newspapers, including GQ and Men’s Health, and is a board member for the Ringside Charitable Trust and the Ring of Brotherhood. He has been a broadcaster for TNT Sports and hosts the popular “Boxing Life Stories” podcast. Dixon is a British Boxing Hall of Famer, an International Boxing Hall of Fame elector, a BWAA award winner, and is the author of five boxing books, including “Damage: The Untold Story of Brain Trauma in Boxing” (shortlisted for the William Hill Sportsbook of the Year), “Warrior: A Champion’s Search for His Identity” (shortlisted for the Sunday Times International Sportsbook of the Year) and “The Road to Nowhere: A Journey Through Boxing’s Wastelands.” You can reach him @trisdixon on X and Instagram.
