“We Want Women Also in the Next Fight” – Turki Alalshikh and Dana White Makes Unexpected Decision After UFC Saudi Arabia Success

UFC Saudi Arabia seems to have been a massive success as far as HE Turki Alalshikh is concerned. Tens of thousands of UFC fans came to witness the action inside the Octagon and it did not disappoint. The event’s success may have compelled the Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority to disclose a bigger revelation about the UFC’s next event, more specifically, a condition for Dana White for the next Fight Night- set up women’s fights.

Dana White’s re-booking of the Saudi Arabia Fight Night event turned out to be a great one as allegedly, the Saudi officials didn’t like the initial card that he presented to them. But now, in the wake of so many people attending the first event, Turki Alalshikh wants Dana White to set up women’s fights, which would be a first in the Middle Eastern nation.

Turki Alalshikh wants Dana White to hold women’s fights in Saudi Arabia

In Saudi Arabia, none of the official sports governing bodies ever tried to hold a sporting event for any of the female athletes. The only sporting activities allowed for women in the country are during physical education classes in public schools, according to the Ministry of Education. However, Turki Alalshikh wants to break those norms and have female fighters compete on Saudi soil following the success of the first event.

“I don’t think there is a lot of fans like this – 12,000 till 1 AM and now I am asking, Dana, [for] the next time, we want to make it 30,000 here. We are waiting and we want women [fighters] also in the next fight [event],” said Turki Alalshikh in a post-event interview with Jon Anik, alongside Dana White. He also made sure to disclose that he will be in attendance at the UFC’s Sphere event on Mexican Independence Day in Las Vegas.

“He [Dana] promised me to have a big card [in the next event]. Let’s see. I am coming to Vegas… Now, we’re focussing [on] Riyadh Season relationship with Dana and the UFC. We have a big card on the 14th of September in the Sphere, the first time there. We will be together and I’m waiting,” the General Entertainment Authority Chairman added.

Moreover, Dana White would also add that he’s looking to hold not just UFC events, but he would also give the Saudi fans a taste of Power Slap. “We’ll be doing an event here, obviously UFC and Power Slap. Two Power Slaps next year in the Kingdom,” said Dana White. But given the success of the event, let’s have a look at the fighters who took home bonuses.

The biggest winners from UFC Saudi Arabia

Fans in Riyadh witnessed four tremendous finishes at UFC Saudi Arabia. While three out of those four finishes were knockouts, one finish was registered via submission. As such, Dana White handed out a total of $200,000 in bonuses. The first ‘Performance of the Night’ winner, Robert Whittaker, took home $50,000 after registering his first knockout win since 2017. There’s no doubt that he’s inching closer to getting into title contention.

The other two $50,000-earning KO wins were secured by Volkan Oezdemir and the newcomer Sharaputdin Magomedov, who secured his first UFC knockout. Finally, the bonus for the submission win was presented to the 26-year-old Felipe Lima. He secured a third-round submission and left a great impression among fans in his debut fight under the promotion’s banner.

What do you think about the UFC’s first event in Saudi Arabia and HE Turki Alalshikh’s plans for the next Fight Night event? Did you enjoy the action? Drop your comments below.