Dana White has frequently claimed that Francis Ngannou left the UFC to avoid fighting Jon Jones. Naturally, the relationship between the two men soured before “The Predator” left the promotion.
However, White’s flourishing ties with Turki Alalshikh might open doors for cross-promotion fights in the UFC. After hosting several spectacular boxing and MMA events, Riyadh Season will sponsor the Noche UFC event in The Sphere.
When asked if Riyadh Season could convince him to work with Ngannou again, the UFC CEO said this during the UFC 303 post-press conference:
“I think that, what this guy’s [Alalshikh] done in a short amount of time is pretty incredible. So, we’re obviously talking about lots of different options with this guy. And I respect him, I like him, so, we’ll see what the future holds.”
UFC 306 is the first event in the promotion’s history to have a title partner. With new stakeholders coming into play, Ngannou facing UFC heavyweights like Aspinall and Jones might not be far-fetched.
Why Riyadh Season was roped in as a sponsor of Noche UFC
During the UFC 303 post-press conference posted on TheMacLife YouTube channel, White reiterated that he’s spent over $15 million on producing Noche UFC. The UFC CEO then jokingly claimed this to be the reason behind the new sponsors for the event.
When asked about the factors that led to Riyadh Season becoming the title partner of UFC 306, here’s what he said:
“I spent $17 million on production and it’s not even September yet.”
It is worth noting that Riyadh Season featured massive boxing cards like Fury vs. Ngannou, Joshua vs. Ngannou, and Fury vs. Usyk. In early 2024, the Kingdom Arena also hosted the PFL vs. Bellator Champions event.
While discussing the impact of new sponsors, White admitted to having a good relationship with Turki Alalshikh. He also appreciated the boxing events organized by Riyadh Season.
“I actually respect Sheikh Turki. He’s a nice guy and we have actually formed a relationship over the last couple of months. I respect what he’s done with boxing. He’s the only guy that could ever pull this off. Making these big fights and the fight was good.”
