Turki Alalshikh doubles down on boxing promoters putting on ‘clown fights’

Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk's undisputed showdown takes place on May 18 at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, and will be preceded by a decent eight-fight undercard.

Turki Alalshikh doubles down on boxing promoters putting on ‘clown fights’

Turki Alalshikh takes a jab at influencer boxing (Source: Instagram)

The full undercard for Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk is out. But fans are not settling into it well. Turki Alalshikh has resounded on the value of the card. He is responsible for many exciting fights that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has witnessed in the recent past.

Turki Alalshikh has a vision for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to dethrone Las Vegas as the fight capital of the world. The recent PFL PPV was part of that vision. Moreover, it will only promote high-profile combat sports bouts and will not focus on influencer bouts. His Excellency once again bashed influencers and the YouTube boxing scene while promoting the undercard of Fury vs. Usyk.

Anyone searching for lower quality or bizarre "clown" fights should look elsewhere.
His Excellency Turki Alashikh via X
YouTube video

The heavyweight clash now includes two world title bouts and ‘Britain’s Mike Tyson‘ Moses Itauma. The co-main features cruiserweight king Jai Opetaia rehashing Mairis Briedis for the IBF and Ring Magazine 200lb spot. Later, he defended his position yet again in an interview with DAZN.

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Please, we don't want any YouTuber fights again. I want fighters, this is what I support. For me, inside my heart, I want the fighters.
His Excellency Turki Alalshikh via DAZN

The May 18th Fury vs. Usyk undercard also has IBF super-featherweight Joe Cordina vs. Anthony Cacace taking shape. Alluding to each undercard as main-event worthy, Alalshikh once again reiterated his vision to host the best fights rather than “clown” fights.

Turki Alalshikh talks about Saudi Arabia’s first-ever UFC Fight Night event

Turki Alalshikh and his efforts to include and promote combat sports in the extended Riyadh Season do not end with boxing. Inferring to the likes of Jake Paul, KSI, and others, His Excellency recently told DAZN Boxing that he wanted real fighters. Dissing the culture of influencer boxing, he wanted heavy hitters.

UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Chimaev is Saudi Arabia's first non-numbered card
UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Chimaev is Saudi Arabia’s first non-numbered card (Source: Twitter)

Consequently, the UFC will now organize the June 22 event in Saudi Arabia. It will feature a middleweight bout between peers Khamzat Chimaev and Robert Whittaker. With the main card announced, Alalshikh has taken the initiative to promote it online on his social media handles.

UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Chimaev is a historic first for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. While there have been numbered cards for PPV events, this marks the UFC’s first time in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, Alalshikh hopes to put on more UFC fight cards next year.

His Excellency also wants to bring Conor McGregor in front of the Saudi audience. As such, one of them has a good chance to become a PPV event next year. With this diverse inclusion, Saudi Arabia is turning out to be quite the prime spot for the combat sports industry.

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