As the Middle East’s most powerful countries jockey for prominence on a world stage, who knew combat sports would be a chief beneficiary? Earlier this year, the UFC launched a five-year partnership with Abu Dhabi, which is set to host one annual pay-per-view event each year of the deal, with a title fight guaranteed to be on the bill each time. A new venue was built for the occasion, a massive semi-permanent structure built on Yas Island and known as The Arena. The venue provided an electric atmosphere for UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov’s third-round submission over Dustin Poirier, though promotion officials announced they were already in talks with their partners in Abu Dhabii regarding a bigger structure for the company when it returns in 2020. Enter Saudi Arabia
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Uh, oh, Abu Dhabi: Saudi Arabia’s new combat sports venue is looking pretty good – MMA Junkie