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Turki Alalshikh, the head of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, unveiled on Tuesday a significant accord between Riyadh Season and the UFC, marking a new chapter in their collaboration.
Alalshikh revealed to ESPN plans for a major UFC spectacle in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, slated for late 2024 or early 2025. Describing it as a monumental affair, he contrasted this with the UFC's inaugural Saudi event headlined by Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev on June 22. Riyadh Season, an annual state-orchestrated celebration of sports and entertainment, renowned for attracting backing from the region's elite firms, will endorse UFC 306 on Sept. 14, marking the MMA promotion's debut at The Sphere in Las Vegas.
Alalshikh highlighted that Riyadh Season branding will be prominently featured across UFC 306's assets and merchandise. He emphasized to ESPN, "This UFC partnership sends a robust message to the market. We are inclusive in our approach. While I have a personal fondness for boxing, we are committed to propelling Riyadh as a premier global MMA hub."
Moreover, the announcement touched upon the recent union of UFC and WWE into TKO, a publicly traded entity. Since 2018, WWE has held marquee events in Saudi Arabia, with upcoming fixtures like King and Queen of the Ring in Jeddah on May 25.
Alalshikh hinted at forthcoming enhancements to Saudi Arabia's WWE arrangement, teasing the possibility of hosting iconic WWE events like the Royal Rumble or WrestleMania.
"We are poised for significant endeavors with the UFC and TKO," affirmed Alalshikh.
In a grand finale, Alalshikh disclosed Riyadh's hosting of Dana White's Power Slap event, promising more revelations with the upcoming Riyadh Season boxing event featuring Terence Crawford and Israil Madrimov's junior middleweight title clash in Los Angeles on Aug. 3.
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