Saudi Arabia’s advisor, Turki Alalshikh, has expressed a strong desire to host Conor McGregor and the UFC in his country. Over the past year, Saudi Arabia has become a notable venue for boxing under Alalshikh’s guidance and significant financial investments. Successful events, including Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou, have taken place, with stars like Conor McGregor being compensated for attending and promoting these fights.
While Saudi Arabia has established itself as a boxing hub, it is not limiting its efforts to combat sports to just boxing. Lucrative deals were made in the previous year, including a $100 million agreement with the PFL and a deal with the UFC. Although initially scheduled for March, the UFC’s debut event in the Middle East was later postponed to June, leading to speculation about the reasons behind the delay.
Despite suggestions, including from Ariel Helwani, that Alalshikh and Saudi Arabia may have intervened due to concerns about the event’s quality, Dana White dismissed these claims as unfounded. Nevertheless, Saudi Arabia remains committed to expanding its presence in combat sports.
In a recent interview with DAZN, Turki Alalshikh shared that one of their aspirations is to bring Conor McGregor to Saudi Arabia for a fight. Alalshikh mentioned having discussions with the UFC about the possibility of making this happen but did not disclose the company’s response to his proposal.
“I talked to my sister Caroline here, and she’s close friends with McGregor and myself,” Alalshikh stated in the DAZN interview. “We are ready to have a fight with him [here]. We try, maybe, and we will announce it and do something big [in the future].”
He emphasized his focus on both MMA and boxing, outlining his two primary areas of interest. While the UFC is still working on its inaugural event in Saudi Arabia, PFL recently announced plans to host a cross-promoted card with Bellator in February, adding competition to the region. Despite PFL executive Donn Davis criticizing the UFC’s Saudi event as a “poor fight card,” the potential inclusion of Conor McGregor in June could significantly elevate the fight card.
As of now, Conor McGregor is scheduled to fight in Las Vegas on June 29th, facing Michael Chandler in a five-round bout, headlining International Fight Week. However, if Turki Alalshikh has his way, fans may see ‘The Notorious’ fighting in Saudi Arabia in the near future.
