The purported main event for UFC’s debut card in Saudi Arabia surfaced online, prompting a response from Dana White.
While the MMA promotion has yet to stage an event in Saudi Arabia, the country has become a sought-after destination for major fights and sporting spectacles.
Significant boxing matches featuring Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, Anthony Joshua, and Francis Ngannou, along with WWE events under the TKO Group umbrella alongside UFC, are regularly held in Riyadh.
Although UFC’s debut in the Gulf state has been anticipated, rumored delays were attributed to officials’ satisfaction with the fight lineup.
On Tuesday, a viral post circulated online, suggesting that the inaugural Saudi UFC event’s main event had been leaked.
The post featured a screenshot purportedly from the Kingdom Arena website, indicating a headline bout between Israel Adesanya and Khamzat Chimaev, with June 22 as the speculated date. Naturally, the MMA community buzzed with excitement.
However, it later emerged that the arena’s official website had not released any such details.
Dana White swiftly debunked the post as fake and criticized certain members of the MMA media for circulating it. In a scathing comment, the UFC president wrote: “Not happening. It was a fake post. All the MMA Media that ran with it are the problem. Absolute CLOWNS. If you hear it from MMA media and NOT us, it’s probably bull****.”
In January, White vehemently denied reports of disagreements over the fight lineup presented to Saudi officials.
Addressing the matter at the UFC 297 press conference, White expressed frustration: “Total bulls***. That’s a straight-out f****** lie. I don’t know who started it or how it started, but not one fight was announced to Saudi.
Not one fight was announced to them. I called and asked to push the card back. Because we have a couple of guys that we want on the card, and they weren’t ready. So, listen, you know how we are.
We want to deliver, and if we’re going to Saudi Arabia at the level that these guys do things, and it’s a Fight Night. But we want to make it the best Fight Night we’ve ever done.” Saudi Arabia is set to host a major PFL vs Bellator card on February 24 at the Kingdom Arena before potentially welcoming UFC.
