December Dubai Date – Interesting fight for Waterford welter

Rohan Date [12(9)-0-1] fights for the first time since March of 2020 when he returns in a very interesting fight NEXT week.

The Dubai based Waterford fighter yesterday confirmed he would fight on the same Probellum card as Dublin’s Jono Carroll and will compete for the first time in over a year at the Coca Cola Arena on December 11.

Despite the absence from action, the Deise puncher won’t be afforded the chance to ease his way back into the swing of things, as he has been handed a test of sorts.

Kelvin Dotel [14(7)-5] mans the opposite corner in the Middle East. The Spain based Dominican Republic fighter comes to the ring with 14 wins to his name and boasts away day upsets.

Indeed, he won the IBF International welterweight title in France in 2018 and stoped then undefeated Ukrainian Mishiko Beselia in Ukraine last time out.

The fact he hasn’t fought since that win in 2018 will favour Date but it represents a step up for the 28-year-old nonetheless.

The fight will be Date’s seventh in Dubai and his fourth on the trot in the country.

The Irish welter hasn’t been seen in the ring since he stopped Rivo Kundimang in March 2020 on the night TJ Doheny and Stevie Collins suffered surprise defeats. He did sign to fight Macaulay McGowan in October of the same year but an injury forced him out of that fight and he also saw a May Waterford 2020 fight fall through due to the pandemic.

After his last victory, he said he wanted to get busy in an attempt to push toward world level.

“I think it’s time to go to 140. I have noticed in sparring against 147s they are bigger, so I think it’s time to get down to 140 and make myself a competitor at world level.”