What is Riyadh Season? All you need to know about Noche UFC's title partner
Riyadh Season is officially the new title partner for Noche UFC, a blockbuster mixed martial arts event honoring Mexican Independence Day that will take place in September. This will be the first time the promotion has given a sponsor the title partner status, turning UFC 306 into Riyadh Season Noche UFC.
Given that Saudi Arabia has made some major moves in the sports industry over the past few years, it's no surprise that the UFC extended its partnership with The Kingdom's General Entertainment Authority.
What is Riyadh Season?
Riyadh Season is Saudi Arabia's annual state-funded sports and entertainment festival. It was started in Oct. 2019 and hosts various concerts, art and music exhibitions, global dining experiences, and unique entertainment events featuring renowned celebrities and exclusive brands.
The 2024 Riyadh Season will be its fifth edition, with last year's festivities featuring the blockbuster Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou boxing match to kickstart the festival. It also featured WWE Crown Jewel 2023, the Riyadh Season Tennis Cup, the Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou boxing match, and the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury undisputed heavyweight title fight.
Chairman Turki Alalshikh announced signing a strategic partnership pact with the promotion earlier this year and revealed that there are plans to stage a mega event in The Kingdom by the end of 2024 or the beginning of 2025.
Riyadh Season has been officially named as the title partner for the Noche UFC event
On Wednesday, Riyadh Season was officially announced as the new title partner for the UFC's Mexican Independence Day event in September. Riyadh Season Noche UFC will go down on Sept. 14 at The Sphere in Las Vegas. The event is expected to feature a host of high-profile Mexican fighters competing on a stacked fight card.
Per the UFC website, the event will make full use of The Sphere's state-of-the-art audio and video features to deliver a unique viewing experience for fans. The venue's capabilities include the world's highest-resolution LED wraparound display that creates a fully immersive viewing environment and a highly advanced audio system that delivers HOLOPLOT-powered sound to every guest inside the venue.
In a recent statement, UFC CEO Dana White lauded the Riyadh Season Noche UFC event and said:
"This will be one of the biggest sporting events of all time. What we’re going to pull off at Sphere will never be done again. This will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for sports fans... We’re thrilled that Turki Alalshikh and the Saudi General Entertainment Authority have stepped up to partner with us to make this the greatest event in the history of combat sports." [H/T UFC.com]