UFC announces inaugural Saudi Arabia event coming in March 2024

UFC will cover new ground in 2024 when the octagon arrives in Saudi Arabia.

On Wednesday, the UFC announced that the promotion’s first event in the country will take place March 2 at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. It will not be a pay-per-view event but rather a UFC Fight Night.

لأول مرة في المملكة.. ليلة تاريخية استثنائية ضمن موسم الرياض

بطولة UFC Fight Night يوم ٢ مارس بالتعاون مع @ufc

For the first time in the Kingdom.. a historical exceptional night within Riyadh Season

On 2nd of March, a UFC Fight Night in collaboration with… pic.twitter.com/at9qlCUZRU

— TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) October 11, 2023

No bouts have been announced at this time, but a press release stated matchups will be revealed by UFC CEO Dana White “in the coming months.”

Although it’s the UFC’s debut in Saudi Arabia, it’s not a fresh market for combat sports. Riyadh Season has become a blooming destination for fights and professional wrestling. Jake Paul and Tommy Fury fought there last October, while Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou are set to clash later this month.

This past August, it was announced that Saudi Arabia recently struck a deal to purchase a minority stake in PFL with the intention to bring major MMA fights to the local audience.