The relationship between UFC and Saudi Arabia is looking bright on the eve of the promotion’s debut event in Riyadh, despite losing the card’s biggest star.
The UFC’s debut show in Saudi Arabia goes down on Saturday, June 22nd from Riyadh, and the Kingdom is already getting the full MMA experience with the high number of fight cancellations for the event.
Eight fights have fallen through for the card, including the main event between Khamzat Chimaev and Robert Whittaker. But that hasn’t soured General Entertainment Authority [GeA] head Turki Alalshikh on things. The high ranked advisor has transformed the world of heavyweight boxing over the past year, and he is excited to expand his relationship with the UFC as much as possible.
In a new video shared on Alalshikh’s socials, Turki and Dana hold hands as he discusses future plans.
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— TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) June 21, 2024
“With my brother Dana White, I’m very glad to see you today for the first time UFC debut in the Kingdom,” Alalshikh said. “And it will not be the last time. And we want, my brother, to have big card, next big card.”
“I think this is the beginning of big relationship between UFC and GeA Saudi Arabia. And we want to go more and more. We discuss now about China and about other things, about Riyadh season sponsor, Riyadh season … [Dana White] is one of the best business guy and smart guy ever I see in the martial arts business and I am very happy to work with him. We have a lot of surprises in the future.”
The UFC and Saudi Arabia recently inked a deal to extend their partnership together, locking in another event for early 2025 which Alalshikh has declared will be “two or three times bigger” than June’s UFC Fight Night. They’re even bringing White’s Power Slap league to Riyadh, so I guess you could say things are getting pretty serious.
But does the UFC really want to get fully in bed with Saudi Arabia like many boxing promoters are preparing to do? The promotion is in a somewhat awkward position as they’ve been aligned with Abu Dhabi for years and owe the UAE big after it allowed them to hold fights through the pandemic on ‘Fight Island.’
So if you’re wondering why the Kingdom’s debut show is a high end Fight Night and not an all-out star-studded spectacular, keep in mind there are big politics (and big money) at play which will greatly affect how the UFC and Saudi Arabia work together moving forward.