Turki Alalshikh, head of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, announced on Wednesday a partnership with TKO Group—the parent company of UFC and WWE—to create a new boxing promotion. UFC president Dana White and WWE president Nick Khan will take on executive leadership roles in this new project.
The name of the promotion is yet to be revealed, but plans are in place to host the inaugural event in 2026. A key focus will be on a structured program designed to cultivate emerging boxing talent globally, incorporating athlete scouting and training academies.
Boxers involved in the promotion will have access to the UFC Performance Institute’s advanced facilities located in Las Vegas, Mexico City, and Shanghai. TKO’s production and media teams will be responsible for delivering high-quality in-arena experiences and broadcasts to a worldwide audience.
Alalshikh stated, “This significant alliance between industry giants paves the way for an unmatched experience for both boxers and fans. Together, we are committed to nurturing the next generation of boxing stars and organizing top-tier events, at a crucial time for innovation in the sport.”
This new venture is part of Saudi Arabia’s substantial investment in global sports, spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Since October 2023, Alalshikh and Sela, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, have been instrumental in staging major boxing events, starting with Tyson Fury versus Francis Ngannou. His Riyadh Season events, primarily held in Saudi Arabia’s capital but also in cities like Los Angeles and London, are known for featuring strong undercard fights, deviating from typical boxing event structures.
In November, he acquired The Ring magazine, a boxing publication established in 1922. His first event under The Ring banner is scheduled for May 2 in Times Square, featuring prominent fighters like Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, and Teofimo Lopez in separate matches.
Alalshikh has been behind several significant boxing matches, including planned Fury-Usyk and Bivol-Beterbiev fights, collaborating with various promoters.
These high-profile events will continue, and soon, Alalshikh, along with White and Khan, will launch their boxing league. In ESPN’s September rankings of influential figures in boxing, Alalshikh, White, and Khan were ranked first, second, and third, respectively.
White commented to The Ring, “Boxing is where I began, and I owe much of my success to it. I believed boxing was unfixable until Alalshikh arrived. He has contributed more to boxing than any promoter ever. His investment, energy, and passion are unprecedented. There are very few people I would partner with in this way.”
Alalshikh added that he and White share a common vision and expressed confidence that their league will quickly dominate the boxing landscape.
White has openly expressed his ambition to enter the boxing industry. Unlike the UFC, which he transformed into a leading MMA organization, boxing is characterized by fragmentation, with multiple champions across numerous weight divisions.
This fragmented structure, with various competing promoters, often prevents the most anticipated matchups from happening.
White, who joined UFC in 2001, explained the intended format: “The best will fight the best. Fighters will climb the rankings, and once in the top five, it will be clear who the top contenders are, and they will compete against each other. The champion will be undeniably the best in their weight class, regardless of sanctioning body titles.”
Khan’s role is also crucial to the league’s success. Before joining WWE in 2020, he was a top executive at Creative Artists Agency, representing major media personalities and negotiating substantial media rights deals for entities like the SEC, Top Rank Boxing, and WWE.
Under Khan’s leadership, WWE has achieved record revenues and profits. He has been key in WWE’s global growth, securing government incentives for major live events outside the United States.
Khan was also instrumental in the merger of WWE and UFC to form TKO Group, where he serves on the board. Earlier in his career, Khan managed Hall of Fame boxers Manny Pacquiao and James Toney.
