Dana White Makes History in UFC Saudi Arabia With a Huge Win For Women’s MMA

To say that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has turned a new leaf in recent times would be an understatement. Not too long ago, women couldn’t drive, couldn’t appear in public without wearing a Hijab, and couldn’t even leave their house unaccompanied by a male family member. But since Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman became the de facto ruler in 2017, the famously conservative Kingdom has seen some pretty serious reforms. And now, we’re seeing the effect of that change in the UFC’s second Saudi Arabia event.

Now women can not only do all the things we have mentioned before, but are also encouraged to participate in sports, which was also pretty discouraged earlier. And today, women’s sport in Saudi Arabia takes another huge leap as Dana White and Co. are set to put on the promotion’s first women’s bout in the Kingdom.

The #12 ranked women’s flyweight Jasmine Jasudavicius will took on former women’s bantamweight weight title contender Mayra Bueno Silva, who is came back to the 125 after a mixed run at bantamweight. Unlike Silva, who is on a two-fight slide, Jasudavicius went into the bout with great momentum, having won her last three fights. At the end of three rounds, Jasudavicius emerged victorious via unanimous decision.

This won’t be the first women’s MMA bout in Saudi Arabia (which we will discuss in-depth later), but it is still pretty significant. After all, as they say, once could be a fluke. But the fact that the Kingdom is willing to have a second women’s MMA bout there does say something about its changed attitude towards women’s sports. Now let us take a the first women’s MMA bout in Saudi Arabia.

The PFL beat Dana White and the UFC to historic milestone featuring GWOAT

The first women’s MMA bout in Saudi Arabia featured probably the greatest female fighter of all time in Claressa Shields. Shields of course, is a two-time Olympics gold medalist as well as a former five-division boxing champion. She was already considered the greatest female boxer of all time when she decided to challenge herself once again.

In 2020, the Michigander signed a contract with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) and made her MMA debut there the next year. For her third fight in the cage, the Donn Davis-founded promotion decided that Shields should be the one to inaugurate a new era of women’s MMA in Saudi Arabia and had her fight newcomer Kelsey DeSantis at the PFL vs. Bellator card in Riyad, the Kingdom’s veritable combat sports capital.

Although Shields was the heavy favorite going into the fight against the then 1-1 DeSantis, the latter put up quite a fight. Shields came out hot early into the fight, but DeSantis took her thundering blows pretty well, and made the Olympian’s life hell by taking the fight to the ground every chance she got.

In the end, Shields managed to eke through a split decision victory, but it was a pretty good fight. Worthy of being the first women’s MMA bout in Saudi Arabia. What do you think about Jasudavicius vs. Bueno Silva being the first women’s UFC bout in Saudi Arabia?