UFC President Dana White credited TKO Chairman Vince McMahon with doing all the work to get UFC in Saudi Arabia.
Speaking to the Sports Business Journal, White said, “It was Vince McMahon. It was 100% Vince McMahon. He made every call. He didn’t make one move without picking up the phone and calling me and getting me in the loop and seeing if I was cool with this and that.”
Over the past few weeks, White has talked about his up and down relationship with McMahon, saying he tried to f*ck him over several times in the past, including using his power to shut down a deal for the UFC with NBC and USA Network prior to UFC moving to FOX.
“He went from being, oddly enough, I don’t know why, an enemy to being an unbelievable, incredible partner,” he continued.
The UFC will make its Saudi Arabia debut on March 2 with a Fight Night in partnership with the Saudi General Entertainment Authority as part of the Riyadh Season festival.