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Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff Writer
The UFC will hold its first-ever event in Saudi Arabia on March 2, 2024, officials told ESPN on Wednesday.
The card will be a Fight Night in conjunction with Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Season festival. According to a release, UFC president Dana White will announce competitors for the card in the coming months.
The event is in partnership with the Saudi General Entertainment Authority.
The news comes on the heels of the UFC’s merger with WWE, forming the new publicly traded TKO company under Endeavor. WWE has run shows in Saudi Arabia since 2014 and has a lucrative deal with the country that brings two major WWE events there per year.
In August, PFL, an MMA competitor to the UFC, sold a minority stake of its promotion to the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund.
Saudi Arabia has also been active with boxing, bringing large-scale events to the country, including the upcoming Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou bout on Oct. 28. The Saudis have been aggressive in investing in other sports, as well, including soccer, golf and Formula One racing.