Dana White & UFC Rack in $40M Promising a Return to Saudi Arabia After Making History With Khamzat Chimaev vs. Robert Whittaker

The UFC and Dana’s white dream of hosting an event in the holy land of Saudi Arabia finally came true after three decades of dominance in the American market. The highly anticipated event will take place on June 23rd, featuring a thrilling main event between Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev.

This landmark event underscores the UFC’s growing global reach. Breaking news has emerged regarding a new deal with Saudi Arabia. According to Damon Martin, a news editor at MMA Fighting, a new deal with Saudi Arabia has been revealed. This deal reportedly doubles the value of the previous agreement between the UFC and Saudi Arabia.

Now, the exact details of the new deal are revealed. The first deal was reportedly worth around $20 million, and this new deal is expected to be a staggering $40 million. Additionally, TKO president Mark Shapiro confirmed that the event tied to this deal will take place after June 22nd.

The UFC’s ties with Saudi Arabia have grown even stronger this month. The reason behind this is Dana White’s decision to extend the UFC’s deal with the Kingdom for another major event. This news was confirmed by Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the board of directors of the General Entertainment Authority, who stated that an extended agreement with the UFC had been reached.

In addition to this news deal, the UFC previously signed an agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Season. This annual sports and entertainment festival will sponsor the upcoming UFC 306 event at The Sphere in Las Vegas. The event will take place on September 14th.

Riyadh season extends partnership with UFC

In a sensational announcement, the UFC confirmed their extended partnership with Riyadh Season via their official Twitter account. The caption read, “By extending our partnership with @RiyadhSeason, we can continue to bring even more incredible events to Saudi Arabia.’-@DanaWhite,” highlighting the UFC president’s commitment to the collaboration.

In an interview with ESPN, Alalshikh stated, “We are working with everyone. My favorite is boxing, but we will try to make Riyadh one of the biggest cities around the world in MMA.” This statement by the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority (GEA) highlights their shifts toward a more diversified approach. They’re moving beyond a pure reliance on natural resources and strategically investing in the world of sports and entertainment.

Undoubtedly, shortly, we’re likely to see the UFC in places that we never imagined, like Max Holloway’s native Hawaii, where he expressed his desire for the UFC to organize an event. Despite this, the UFC’s main focus is undoubtedly going to be Saudi Arabia. Where would you like to see the UFC organize their event? Let us know in the comment box.