Las Vegas has been the fight capital of the world for decades. It seems almost crazy to look at any other place as the destination spot for fighters, fans, and the promoters who push the events.
Over the past two years, it's become clear that Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf states have taken a significant piece of the pie. So much so it's not a stretch to say Saudi Arabia has become the world's fight capital.
When I say fight, the reference is to the major combat sports organizations in the world across boxing and MMA–and even the WWE, which has held two premium live events annually in Saudi Arabia since 2019.
I spoke with former boxing Hall-of-Famer and ESPN analyst Timothy Bradley about the impact of Saudi Arabia in combat sports. Speaking specifically to boxing, Bradley said, "Saudi Arabia, yes, is a huge player in boxing and can make fights happen like Fury-Usyk and [Artur] Beterbiev-[Dmitry] Bivol.”
The bouts Bradley mentioned are fights that might have normally hit stumbling blocks, but the infusion of money from the region pushed the events across the finish line.
Turki Alalshikh, the Chairman of General Authority for Entertainment in Saudi Arabia has been instrumental in delivering mega boxing matches to Riyadh. The Saudi financial backing has made fights possible between champions represented by different promotional entities.
Tyson Fury survived a knockdown and defeated Francis Ngannou in Riyadh in October, and he's set to compete in Riyadh again in May for the undisputed heavyweight championship against Oleksandr Usyk. Because of the money Fury and other top heavyweights have made in the Kingdom, there is a good chance the Gypsy King could fight there again before the end of 2024.
Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder were on a collision course for a significant fight in the first quarter of 2024 after both men co-headlined an event in Riyadh in December. Unfortunately, Wilder was upset by Joseph Parker at the Day of Reckoning, deconstructing their planned matchup.
However, Joshua who defeated Otto Wallin on the same night, quickly pivoted and will face Ngannou in another major money bout in the Kingdom. Ngannou, a former UFC heavyweight champion currently signed with the Professional Fighters League, has been in the mix for many of the top events in Saudi Arabia.
The PFL has given Ngannou the freedom to pursue a career in boxing, something the UFC would not allow, and he's taken advantage of the freedom. At some point, Ngannou may compete for the PFL in Saudi Arabia.
In the meantime, the PFL will hold its own mixed martial arts event in Saudi Arabia on February 24. The promotion, which acquired Bellator in late 2023, will present its first annual PFL vs. Bellator show from the Kingdom.
In association with SRJ Sports Investments (a Saudi-based investment organization), PFL has been empowered to deliver a share of its events in the Middle East.
"There is an incredible amount of interest in growing the sport of MMA throughout the Middle East and Africa (MENA)," PFL CEO Peter Murray said in a statement from the PFL. "There is an underserved consumer base in the Middle East, consisting of fans who want access to high-quality MMA events. In addition to that, at the grassroots, amateur, and professional levels, there is a growing pool of fighters seeking outlets and opportunities to compete on a major stage. Therefore, based on the consumer market and the talent supply, we believe it is time to allocate more resources to develop the sport, including the development of fighters."
The PFL has already begun diversifying its roster with fighters from multiple regions, including the Middle East. The promotion recently made history by signing Hattan Alsaif, the first Saudi woman ever inked to a professional mixed martial arts deal. She joins Abdullah Al-Qahtani and Mostafa Rashed Nada from Saudi Arabia, Jarrah Al-Silawi from Jordan, and Tarek Sulaimen from Syria as fighters and pioneers in the sport from their countries.
Working with SRJ has helped to position the PFL at the forefront of mixed martial arts events in the region.
"SRJ's strategic focus is on investing in sports that we feel have both growth potential and the ability to attract more young people across the Middle East into getting involved, ideally through their own participation," SRJ CEO Danny Townsend said. "PFL certainly ticked those two boxes. From a sports business perspective, we felt PFL and subsequently Bellator offered a differentiated product offering in a growing sector – MMA – so saw a compelling investment proposition. Combat sports has a massive following in the Middle East, with nearly a third of all Saudis watching events regularly. Region-wide, that active audience climbs to more than 21 million. Part of our investment thesis is assessing if we can offer an even stronger proposition to current fans, while unlocking opportunities to engage new ones. Investing in PFL to create PFL MENA delivers on those fronts."
PFL MENA (Middle East/North Africa) is the next regional MMA branch coming from the promotion. It will be launched later this year.
The UFC is in the loop regarding events in Saudi Arabia. The promotion announced it will hold its first event in the Kingdom this year. Initially, the event was going to be held in March, but it was postponed until June "to ensure the best caliber of talent will be available to participate," per Alalshikh on X.
On February 20, a rumor surfaced that former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya would return to the Octagon to face Khamzat Chimaev in what figures to be a major global attraction. While it isn't a title fight, it is the sort of bout that feels worthy of a pay-per-view. We'll have to wait to see if it is confirmed and if it will serve as the main event for the show.
In any case, it seems safe to assume this event will be the first in a string of UFC shows that will take place in Saudi Arabia. The UFC has already held multiple events in Abu Dhabi, so the promotion is no stranger to the Middle East.
With every major combat sport and associated organizations flocking to Saudi Arabia, it is difficult to deny the seismic shift. At this point, the real competition is between the promotions as each attempts to deliver the deepest roots and most significant shows in Riyadh.
