Tripoli trouble to Riyadh riches: Malik Zinad fights Dmitry Bivol for title and Arab pride

Malik Zinad has come a long way since the days he’d imitate Roy Jones Jr in a Tripoli basement.

Back then his boxing talent was a family secret, and with good reason, too. The sport was banned in Libya under Muammar Qaddafi so his father, Ahmed, himself a former amateur fighter, would let his son hit pads away from prying eyes.

This Saturday, the secret will be well and truly out when Zinad takes on Russia’s Dmitry Bivol for the WBA and IBO light-heavyweight titles in Riyadh on the latest extravagant card to be staged in the kingdom.

Should he pull off what would be an almighty upset, he would become the first Arab to hold a world title since the British-Yemeni featherweight "Prince" Naseem Hamed in 2001.

"I am the first Arabic [fighter] after him, since Prince Naseem there is nobody else,” Zinad told The National. "Everyone is happy for me and I want them all behind me for the next fight. I want them shouting, and together we are going to make it. We will make history.

"I am proud and this is my dream. All this time I am dreaming to be world champion, I am dreaming to walk to the ring with my father and brother and it is all happening for the next fight.

"People might say, ‘Malik is going to lose the fight with Bivol.' I am not going to lose the fight. I am not an easy fighter. You know why? Because I work for this moment. I really worked hard. I knew it was going to come and Bivol will be surprised on June 1.”

Zinad’s title shot arrived in serendipitous fashion – in keeping with a nomadic and unconventional career that has seen him roll the dice time and again.

The 30-year-old Malta-based contender will box in a 13th different country this weekend after going unbeaten in 22 bouts across Europe and America; often taking