Ring roars to rattle Riyadh Season

Article posted by Coliseum, May 15^th, 2024

Image: General Entertainment Authority

The Riyadh Season has signed a strategic agreement to extend a partnership with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority Chairman Turki Alalshikh announced recently.

‘ARAB NEWS’ stated that the agreement ensures another UFC event in the Kingdom during the 2024-2025 Riyadh Season.

The Riyadh Season is an annual State-funded entertainment and sports festival, started as part of 11 entertainment festivals carried by the Saudi Seasons initiative that was launched in 2019. The Riyadh Season starts in October and ends towards March during Winter and Spring in the Saudi Arabia capital Riyadh.

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada (US). It is owned and operated by the TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of the Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion in the world as of 2023.

The mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world.

‘ARAB NEWS’ further stated that Riyadh will also host, for the first time, the Power Slap event, the world’s top slap fighting competition.

It was also announced that the Riyadh Season will be a sponsor for UFC 306 on September 14^th, 2024, to be held in Las Vegas (US).

Stated Alalshikh, “This agreement is a continuation of Riyadh Season’s aim to host and partner with the prominent and international events of mass interest. The UFC is the most prominent mixed martial arts organization in the world and their platform of global fans is unrivaled.”

Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)-based the General Entertainment Authority, formerly the General Authority for Entertainment, is a Government Department in Saudi Arabia that regulates the entertainment industry of the country.

The 26,000-capacity Kingdom Arena in Riyadh will host the first Saudi UFC event on June 22^nd as the middleweight contenders Robert Whittaker (New Zealand-Australian mixed martial artist) and Khamzat Chimaev (Russian mixed martial artist) battle in a highly anticipated matchup.

The Riyadh Season will host the heavyweight boxing clash between Tyson Fury (British professional boxer) and Oleksandr Usyk (Ukrainian professional boxer) on May 18^th. Fury withdrew from the bout that was scheduled for February due to a cut during sparring. But the showdown is back on and has the boxing world enthralled.

The Riyadh Season is an annual festival held in the Saudi capital, during the cooler months of the year, bringing together globally enticing entertainment, cultural and sporting events.

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