The
Ultimate Fighting Championship’s debut in Saudi Arabia will
likely come a little bit later than originally anticipated.
UFC Fight Night 238, which was originally scheduled for
Boulevard Hall in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on March 2, is expected to
be postponed with a new targeted date of June. The news was
initially reported by Ariel Helwani on ”The MMA Hour,” who revealed that the postponement
occurred because there was a lack of satisfaction from the “powers
that be” in Saudi Arabia with the quality of the card.
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It’s currently unclear if the rescheduled event will remain a Fight
Night or if it will become a pay-per-view card. As of Monday, UFC
Fight Night 238 included fights such as Jairzinho
Rozenstruik vs. Shamil
Gaziev and Alex Perez
vs. Muhammad
Mokaev, but a headliner had not been announced. It’s not known
if the bouts currently confirmed for the card will remain part of
the new UFC Saudi Arabia event.
Saudi Arabia has become a significant player on the combat sports
scene in recent months. The Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund
purchased a minority stake in
Professional Fighters League last summer, and Francis
Ngannou faced Tyson Fury
in a boxing match in Riyadh this past October. Ngannou is also
slated to face Anthony
Joshua in the country on March 8. Meanwhile, TKO executive Mark
Shapiro revealed that the UFC received a $20 million deal to hold in Saudi
Arabia.
The UFC has not made an official announcement regarding the status
of its Saudi Arabia event.