UFC president Dana White responds to a question during a news conference in this file photo from UFC 290 at T-Mobile Arena Thursday, July 6, 2023.
Wednesday, June 26, 2024 | 8 p.m.
As Sphere prepares to host its first sports-related event with the NHL Draft Friday and Saturday, anticipation is officially building for the second.
The UFC is also multitasking as it juggles promoting UFC 303 Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena with looking ahead to its next major local event on Sept. 14 at Sphere.
That card was previously expected to be UFC 306, and while that’s technically still true, it’s now being rebranded as Riyadh Season Noche UFC. The locally based mixed martial arts promotion announced the change Thursday night while Sphere lit up with promotional images advertising the event.
The UFC was in Saudi Arabia last week for the first time for an ABC-televised fight card headlined by Robert Whittaker knocking out Ikram Aliskerov in the first round. The Saudi General Entertainment Authority, led by Chairman Turki Alashikh, will now apparently be involved more regularly as a UFC sponsor.
Riyadh Season is Saudi Arabia’s annual sports and entertainment festival in late October. Last year’s version included a boxing match between longtime heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and former UFC belt-holder Francis Ngannou that saw the former edge the latter via controversial split decision.
Riyadh Season’s logo will be visible at all times on the Sphere’s card broadcast as part of the agreement.
Ticket information and fights are expected to be announced in the next couple weeks, with more information available at ufc.com/sphere. The card is expected to heavily feature fighters of Mexican descent to celebrate Mexican Independence weekend.
The company considered September's UFC Noche at T-Mobile Arena a smash success, and now stages a sequel with a presenting sponsor.
It's setting the bar high.
“This will be one of the biggest sporting events of all time,” UFC President Dana White said in a statement. "What we’re going to pull off at Sphere will never be done again. This will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for sports fans. At the same time, this is going to be an incredible tribute to the Mexican people for their extraordinary contributions to combat sports. We’re thrilled that Turki Alalshikh and the Saudi General Entertainment Authority have stepped up to partner with us to make this the greatest event in the history of combat sports. Their participation shows just how massive the interest is from all over the world. Riyadh Season Noche will be unforgettable."
Sphere will have been open for just short of a year by the time of Riyadh Season Noche UFC. There might have been a wait to stage live sports in the venue, but now they might start coming more frequently.
“The first sporting event at Sphere is a significant milestone not only for the venue, but also for live sports overall,” Sphere Entertainment CEO Jim Dolan said in a statement. “UFC has been a longtime partner across the MSG Family of Companies, and we look forward to making history with them once again and delivering an experience that leverages Sphere’s cutting-edge technologies to reimagine what UFC and combat sports can look like.”
Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or
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