UFC, Saudi Arabia Extend Agreement to Include Future Event, Sponsorship

A strategic agreement has been signed between Riyadh Season and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), including the sponsorship of the UFC event in Las Vegas, the UFC event in Riyadh, and Power Slap competitions 🇸🇦❤️ #RiyadhSeason pic.twitter.com/JFe6hVE4jO

— TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) May 7, 2024

The partnership between the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Saudi Arabia will extend beyond the promotion’s June debut in the country.

On Tuesday, Turki Alalshikh, the country’s chairman of the board of directors of the general entertainment authority, announced in a press release that the UFC will hold another event in Saudi Arabia in 2024-25. Additionally, Riyadh Season will serve as a sponsor for UFC 306, which takes place at The Sphere in Las Vegas on Sept. 14. Riyadh Season, which was founded in 2019, is a yearly state-funded entertainment and sports festival and typically runs from October through March.

"This agreement is a continuation of Riyadh Season's aims to host and partner with prominent and international events of mass interest,” Alalshikh stated in a release. “It also enhances our efforts for Riyadh Season to produce diverse content in order to engage and attract an even wider audience with different interests from around the world. UFC is the most prominent mixed martial arts organization in the world and their platform of global fans is unrivaled.”

The promotion will make its debut in Saudi Arabia with UFC on ABC 6 on June 22 at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. The card is headlined by a middleweight clash between Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev, while Sergei Pavlovich will square off against Alexander Volkov in the co-main event.

A date for the next UFC Saudi Arabia event was not announced, but it is expected to take place during the period when Riyadh Season is held.