UFC Doubles Down on Middle East Events While Saudi Summit Cancels

While organizers across the Middle East scramble to postpone or cancel major events, Dana White is not budging. The UFC held UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi last weekend without so much as a backup plan, and White made it clear well before fight night that he had no intention of pulling out.

Asked at a press conference whether the UFC had prepared contingency plans for the Abu Dhabi card, White kept it short. "Nope. We're going," he told reporters, per MMA Sucka. When pressed on whether he had consulted with Abu Dhabi authorities about the security situation, he repeated the same message.

White also pointed out that the UFC was not alone. Power Slap had two events scheduled in the region, and WWE was heading there as well. "We'll all be there," he said.

The defiance comes against a serious backdrop. Saudi Arabia's flagship investment conference, the Future Investment Initiative, was postponed from its October 26 date to sometime in 2027. The event, informally known as "Davos in the Desert," was scrapped after Houthi drone and missile strikes hit targets across the kingdom, including Aramco's headquarters and Riyadh's international airport. The Khaleej Times reported that at least 18 people were killed in the October strikes alone.

The regional conflict has widened considerably since a US-Israeli military campaign against Iran began in February, and Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis have escalated attacks on Saudi Arabian infrastructure in response. Several conferences and sporting events have been postponed or relocated.

UFC 333 went ahead without incident, with Alexander Volkanovski and Petr Yan both retaining their titles on a stacked card. White has given no indication that upcoming Middle East events are in jeopardy.