What Is the Deal Between UFC and HE Turki Al-Sheikh? All About Dana White’s Latest Partnership

Dana White successfully ensured the UFC’s debut in Saudi Arabia with Robert Whittaker and Ikram Aliskerov going against each other in the main event. However, it was all possible because of the one man. The Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, HE Turki Alalshikh. On top of that, the GEA chairman also aided in the extension of the partnership between Riyadh Season and the UFC. Needless to say, he is indeed one of the most prominent figures in the kingdom.

HE Turki Alalshikh has not only introduced the Ultimate Fighting Championship to Saudi Arabia but also played a major role in the success of the Riyadh season in boxing. Today, let’s take a look at the partnership between White and HE Turki Alalshikh, and what exactly is His Excellency’s role.

What is HE Turki Alalshikh’s role?

The 42-year-old became an advisor at the Royal Court of Saudi Arabia, with his expertise in Security Science, and experience with the defense Minister, the Crown Prince, and the Interior Ministry. But his love for sports brought him to become the chairman of General Sports Authority, back in 2017. Needless to say, his appreciation of mixed martial arts splashed out when he recently signed a strategic agreement between Riyadh Season and the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Talking to ESPN, the Saudi Arabian big gun hinted that Riyadh will host an event somewhere in 2025 or at the end of this year, which would be pretty big compared to the UFC’s debut event in Saudi Arabia. He announced, “This is a strong message to the market with [this] UFC [partnership]. 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.”

Without a doubt, HE Turki Alalshikh seems to play a vital role in bringing TKO Holdings to Arabian soil. But did you know that WWE was brought into Saudi Arabia, years before TKO Holdings took the reins? You heard it right! Saudi Arabia had an existing agreement with WWE since 2014, and HE Turki Alalshikh is indeed looking forward to bringing one of the wrestling promotion’s events to his homeland. 

As if to add a cherry on top of UFC’s existing partnership with Saudi Arabia, HE Turki Alalshikh made sure that the TKO’s partnership with Riyadh Season was extended. He said, “This agreement is a continuation of Riyadh Season’s aims to host and partner with prominent and international events of mass interest.”  Did you know how much money Dana White demanded from the GEA chairman? Let’s find out.

How much money did Dana White ask HE Turki Alalshikh to bring UFC to Riyadh?

At the JP Morgan Technology, Media, and Communications Conference, Mark Shapiro, the president of UFC’s mother company, disclosed that bringing UFC to Riyadh required a boatload of money. He said, “Look, if we are going to bring the show to town, we are looking for an incentive package. It doesn’t always have to be straight cash, but it has to be a significant incentive package. Because once again, demand is outstripping supply.”

While the first-ever UFC event in Saudi Arabia reportedly went for $20 million, a return, as per Damon Martin, would go up to $40 million. “UFC signed a new deal to return to Saudi Arabia “for almost double the rights fee,” for a second event after June 22, per TKO president Mark Shapiro,” he wrote in the tweet. With plans to host UFC 306 in Riyadh, the fight fans are sure to witness some great fights in the future, don’t you think? 

What is your opinion on Saudi Arabia’s deal with the UFC? Do you also believe that it was only possible because of HE Turki Alalshikh? Dive down to the comments below and let us know what you think.