Dubai: Adam Saleh and Rashed Belhasa to be part of UAE's first influencer combat event

In a world where social media influencers are stepping into the boxing ring and cryptocurrencies are the new trend, a first-of-its-kind live event is set to take place in Dubai. The UAE will host its first-ever influencer combat event ‘Social Knockout’, organised by TK Fight Nights in collaboration with Dubai Sports Council. It will take place completely through cryptocurrency transactions.

The event will feature Dubai’s young businessman and influencer Rashed Saif Belhasa (Money Kicks), who will be making his amateur boxing debut alongside international YouTube star Adam Saleh, in his boxing debut in the Middle East.

“Preparing for this fight is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do,” Belhasa said at a press conference held on Wednesday, June 30, at Jumeirah Al Naseem Hotel, Al Badir. “They are pushing me to my limit at TK; I’ve never had to train that hard, but it will all be worth it.”

The event was attended by Belhasa, Tam Khan (the CEO of 'Social Knockout’), Blockchain advisor Nikita Sachdev, and Niall Ryan from The Bread Batch.

This announcement comes shortly after social media influencer Logan Paul fought Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition match earlier in June. It was Logan and his brother Jake Paul who paved the way for influencers to become boxers.

Belhasa, meanwhile, has been training for the last few months with his coach and promoter Tam Khan, a former professional MMA fighter. He underwent a massive training schedule that brought about a noticeable change in his physique. "I just wanted to start something new. I saw Logan Paul and KSI (YouTuber) fighting in America and it was going big so I thought to myself why not start this in the Middle East. I am just so excited," Belhasa said.

Talking about Rashed, his trainer Tam Khan said. “Rashed is young, enthusiastic, and full of energy. His boxing is improving exponentially every day; he is talented and I’m sure he will give his fans a great show.”

Fans can expect to see up to 10 exhibition fights whether in person or through live broadcasts that will be streamed on TK Fight’s official website. "It is an exhibition, obviously. There will be three rounds of two minutes each," said Khan at the press conference.

When asked about how people could attend the event, Khan said, "We are going to have a website called kokoswap.org. It is live now and you can pay via card. It is an easy payment system. Once we have released the venue, we are going to tell you exactly how many tokens are required for every kind of allocation. You will receive a QR code that you can present when you show up and it is as easy as that. No time-wasting, no deliveries, everything will be done digitally."

Social Knockout will also be host to live performances of rappers Fat Joe and A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie. Indian singer and composer Guru Randhawa’s performance is also on the cards.

Rashed will take on Anas Elshayib, a huge Arab influencer with over two million subscribers on YouTube and 1.8 million followers on Instagram. Further details of the event will be announced later this month.