The Kingdom continues to attract world-class sporting events as it cements its place as a regional hub for entertainment.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is fast becoming a world hub for combat sports, having recently hosted several big-name events such as the Battle of the Baddest, featuring a title card between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou. The prevalence of huge boxing, wrestling, and MMA events in the Kingdom is set to continue this year, with six world-class events already scheduled for May and June 2024 in both Riyadh and Jeddah.
Here is a rundown of those six events, happening between now and June 22nd…
Ring of Fire
Riyadh
May 18th
Originally scheduled for February 17th, and postponed by three months due to a ‘freak cut’ sustained by Fury during a sparring session, the ‘Ring of Fire’ heavyweight boxing event between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk is the next fight to take over Riyadh in the city’s Kingdom Arena.
WWE Friday Night SmackDown
Jeddah
May 24th
The first night of a two day WWE event will see SmackDown televised from Saudi Arabia for the first time, as the world’s best wrestlers pull off theatrical moves to take down their opponents in this two-hour machismo extravaganza.
King and Queen of the Ring
Jeddah
May 25th
The second night of WWE at the Riyadh Superdome is set to host the first King of the Ring event ever held outside the United States, as well as a Queen of the Ring undercard, both of which will be streamed live via pay-per-view.
Five v Five
Riyadh
June 1st
This event sees ten of the world’s best boxers across four weight classes go head to head, with both rosters of five fighters selected by boxing managers Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren. From featherweight to heavyweight, you can look forward to fights featuring the likes of Deontay Wilder, Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams and Filip Hrgovic.
IV Crown Showdown
Riyadh
June 1st
All four world title belts for the 175 lbs weight class are at stake in this showdown of two mighty fighters, both of whom are currently undefeated champions - a title that only one of them will be able to hold after this fight.
UFC Fight Night
Riyadh
June 22nd
The UFC’s first ever event in the Kingdom is set for June 22nd, matching up two big MMA names for a headlining middleweight match. UFC Fight Night pits expert grappler Khamzat Chinaev against former champion and skilled striker Rober Whittaker, who is coming off an impressive victory over Paulo Costa in his last fight.