Israel Adesanya vs. Khamzat Chimaev confirmed for UFC Riyadh? Fact-checking viral claim of leak from alleged Saudi Arabian website
It appears that Israel Adesanya vs. Khamzat Chimaev is set to be the main event of the UFC's debut event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The buzz surrounding the much-anticipated fight intensified when a website purporting to represent the official Kingdom Arena ticket booking portal circulated a link for the event.
Fans responded to the rumors of the Adesanya vs. Chimaev fight with a spectrum of reactions, with some dismissing it as fake due to doubts about the credibility of the alleged website.
One fan wrote:
"Doubt it’s happening 👀they would want this to be a title fight."
Another wrote:
"I need this fight over any fight."
Check out some more reactions below:
"I have a feeling Paulo Costa is behind the website. 'Yisrael' I hundred procent jizzaprov."
"No it not the official website of kingdom arena !! It’s a russin website The official website of kingdom arena is @webook."
The UFC had initially planned its first event in Saudi Arabia for March, but it was rescheduled to June 22 amid reports of dissatisfaction regarding the proposed fight lineup from influential figures in the Gulf state. However, UFC CEO Dana White refuted these claims, stating that he postponed the event with the intention of making it the most remarkable Fight Night card to date.
Nonetheless, it seems that the UFC is now gearing up to host one of its most significant fights of the year in the Middle Eastern nation, as the Adesanya vs. Chimaev matchup was promoted on the purported website of Kingdom Arena on Tuesday.
Following the rapid spread of fight rumors across the internet, the UFC boss took to Instagram Stories to confront the situation. White clarified that the speculations surrounding the fight were unfounded and vehemently criticized the media outlets that contributed to the amplification of the false news.
Check out Dana White's posts below:
Even if White hadn't addressed the situation, the Sportskeeda MMA team's thorough review concluded that the website lacks credibility due to several suspicious elements. Firstly, the UFC typically announces ticket sales through press releases, whereas, in this instance, the venue itself is purportedly selling them.
Additionally, the ticket prices advertised on the website were found to be excessively high, reaching as much as $50,000. Furthermore, while the official website for Riyadh Season directs users to Webook, a reputable ticket-booking portal, the alleged website fails to promote anything related to Riyadh Season.