White credits McMahon for the Saudi Arabia deal.
On March 2nd, 2024, UFC is going to stage its first fight card in Saudi Arabia. It’ll be branded as a Fight Night event. UFC is partnering with the Saudi General Entertainment Authority for the show.
The General Entertainment Authority has a 10-year deal with WWE. UFC CEO Dana White told Sports Business Journal that is was WWE Executive Chairman Vince McMahon who arranged UFC’s Saudi deal. He stated that McMahon made every call and kept him in the loop at all times.
White said McMahon went from being an ‘enemy’ of UFC to being an incredible and unbelievable partner.
It was Vince McMahon (who arranged UFC’s Saudi deal). It was 100 percent Vince McMahon. He made every call, he didn’t make one move without picking up the phone and calling me and getting me in the loop and seeing if I was cool with this and that. And he went from being, oddly enough, I don’t know why, an enemy (of UFC’s), to being an unbelievable, incredible partner.
WWE and UFC are under the TKO Group Holdings umbrella. WWE CEO Nick Khan spoke about the idea of holding TKO All-Star Weekends with UFC and WWE events on back-to-back days.
