Tag: Turki Alalshikh

Debate: Can UFC’s Dana White change boxing with new Saudi Arabia-backed promotion?

Can Dana White change boxing with his new Saudi Arabia-backed promotion? We debate on “Spinning Back Clique.”

[autotag]Dana White[/autotag] is finally stepping into the boxing world.

After years of teasing a move into boxing promoting, the UFC CEO announced last week that TKO Group, the UFC’s parent company, will start a boxing promotion in partnership with [autotag]Turki Alalshikh[/autotag] and the Saudi Arabian government. White vows to bring the UFC model to boxing and fix what he deems to be “broken.” It was a big announcement that had many pondering on the future of the UFC and the sport of boxing.

Will White find success in the “Sweet Science”? Can he make a meaningful impact on the sport? Is TKO Group getting involved in too many sports?

MMA Junkie’s Brian “Goze” Garcia, Mike Bohn, Danny Segura and host “Gorgeous” George react to White and Alalshikh’s big project and what it means for combat sports as a whole.

Watch their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube.

https://youtube.com/live/8d_-xgG4Kfw

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Spinning Back Clique REPLAY: Ankalaev-Pereira UFC 313 recap, Dana White into boxing world, more

On the latest episode of “Spinning Back Clique,” we react to Alex Pereira’s UFC 313 title loss, Dana White entering boxing, more.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

This week’s panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Mike Bohn and Danny Segura will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate the following topics:

  • [autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag] is the new UFC light heavyweight champion. The Dagestani fighter dethroned superstar [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] in the main event of Saturday’s UFC 313 in Las Vegas. Was the result surprising? Who should be next for Pereira and Ankalaev? We break it all down.
  • Outside the Ankalaev vs. Pereira main event, plenty went down at UFC 313. [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] rebounded from his UFC 300 KO loss by outpointing [autotag]Rafael Fiziev[/autotag]; [autotag]Ignacio Bahamondes[/autotag] had a breakout performance, submitting [autotag]Jalin Turner[/autotag]; and plenty more. We react to some of the key results on the card outside the headlining championship fight.
  • There’s been big news in the boxing world. Last week, TKO Group, along with [autotag]Turki Alalshikh[/autotag] and UFC CEO [autotag]Dana White[/autotag], announced a partnership to launch a new boxing promotion. Can they change the boxing model? Will they find success? We break it all down.
  • To finish off the show, we’ll do a live Q&A segment in which we’ll discuss the latest in the MMA world. Submit your question in the YouTube live chat during the stream, and we’ll answer the best submissions.

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Turki Alalshikh, TKO – including UFC’s Dana White – partner to establish new boxing promotion

UFC boss Dana White is diving into boxing, and this time it’s official.

(This story was updated with no information Wednesday, March 5 at 1:59 p.m. ET)

UFC CEO [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] is diving into boxing. This time it’s official.

White and TKO have partnered with chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, [autotag]Turki Alalshikh[/autotag], to launch a new boxing promotion, Ring Magazine announced Wednesday. The executive leadership will be anchored by White and WWE president Nick Khan.

White has long criticized the boxing business model for not pitting the best fighters against each other. White said the new promotion aims to do that, with both rising talent and current stars.

“The model is proven to deliver the fights that the fans want to see. The best will fight the best, and the fighters will continue to move up the rankings and become world champions,” White said in a video posted on X. “We will continue to make announcements on where you can watch and all the rest of the details of the business as we get closer to the launch. I’ll see you soon.”

According to a press release, the new promotion will feature “a highly structured system to develop new talent from around the world, including athlete combines and academies.” All boxers will have access to the UFC Performance Institutes in Las Vegas, Mexico City and Shanghai. TKO will handle production of events both in broadcasting and at arenas.

More details on the multiyear partnership are expected to be announced in the coming months, but Alalshikh hinted during an interview Wednesday with “The Pat McAfee Show” that the promotion’s first event could be held in September – possibly Sept. 12.

“When it’s time to announce, we have a massive fight – and this is literally exactly what I’m talking about – a massive fight that only this guy (Alalshikh) could make happen,” White said. “Only this guy could make a fight like this happen. We will announce it when we’re ready to. This is the guy who’s literally brought boxing back.”

UFC boss Dana White, Turki Alalshikh offer differing views on battling combat sports piracy

Dana White and business partner Turki Alalshikh appear to have a difference of opinion when it comes to combating illegal streaming

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] and business partner [autotag]Turki Alalshikh[/autotag] appear to have a difference of opinion when it comes to combating illegal streaming of pay-per-view events.

Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority,  argued that decreasing boxing pay-per-view prices will help increase the fanbase and discourage people from pirating events.

Alalshikh said he intends on making the undisputed light heavyweight title bout between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol on Oct. 12 at “£15 for the U.K. and $15 around the world.” Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois is currently priced at 19.95 pounds for U.K. fans.

“What I dream is the pay-per-view with a good price,” Alalshikh told talkSPORT. “To make the fans happy and to subscribe and watch it legally. Usually when I see the pay-per-view (price) high, a lot of numbers watch the fight illegally, and this is not healthy for boxing and the platform. What I will try to push (for) the Riyadh Season card is to have our show less than 20 pounds in England and less than $20 around the world.”

When asked about Alalshikh’s suggestion, White didn’t directly comment and instead boasted about the UFC’s ability to identify illegal streamers and go after them.

“Trust me: We know exactly how to combat piracy,” White told MMA Junkie and other reporters at the Dana White’s Contender Series 70 post-fight news conference on Tuesday. “I won’t tell you extensively what we do every event, but we go after piracy hard. You saw a few years ago that we started prosecuting people. That’s how you combat piracy: Start f*cking prosecuting people for stealing. There you go.”

White and the UFC made their debut in Saudi Arabia this past June with a UFC Fight Night that aired on ABC and streamed on ESPN+ in the U.S.

Saudi Arabia announces extended partnership with UFC, including pay-per-view sponsorship

The UFC has extended its partnership with Saudi Arabia, which includes bringing another event to Riyadh in 2024-25.

The UFC and Saudi Arabia have extended their partnership.

Tuesday, Saudi Arabia’s chairman of the general entertainment authority for entertainment [autotag]Turki Alalshikh[/autotag], announced in a press release that the UFC and Riyadh Season have continued their partnership, which includes hosting another fight event during 2024-25. In addition, Riyadh Season will sponsor UFC 306 in September, which takes place at The Sphere in Las Vegas.

“This agreement is a continuation of Riyadh Season’s aims to host and partner with prominent and international events of mass interest,” Alalshikh said in a press release. “It also enhances our efforts for Riyadh Season to produce diverse content in order to engage and attract an even wider audience with different interests from around the world. UFC is the most prominent mixed martial arts organization in the world and their platform of global fans is unrivaled.”

Alalshikh posted a photo with UFC CEO [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] to social media, along with a copy of the press release.

The UFC’s first event in Saudi Arabia will take place Saturday, June 22 at Kingdom Arena. The event will be headlined by a middleweight title-eliminator matchup between former champion Robert Whittaker and top contender Khamzat Chimaev.

The extended agreement between UFC and Riyadh Season also includes hosting a future Power Slap event in Riyadh.