Report of possible UFC Riyadh cancellation: Dana White points to his travel plans
According to Vestnik MMA, the UFC event planned for 5 December in Saudi Arabia could be scrapped. Nothing has officially been moved or cancelled so far.
Symbolic image · Photo: B.alotaby / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
There is uncertainty around the UFC event planned for 5 December in Riyadh. Russian outlet Vestnik MMA reported, according to Athlon Sports, that the event is "highly likely" to be scrapped altogether. The middleweight bout between Israel Adesanya and Shara Magomedov, touted as the headliner, could reportedly move to the UFC event in Qatar on 21 November. Neither a cancellation nor a move has been officially confirmed.
At the UFC Edmonton press conference, Dana White did not address the report directly but pointed to his schedule: "I go to Abu Dhabi on Tuesday; I have like six events in the next 30 days in Saudi, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi," he said, according to NY Fights. The UFC reportedly has no immediate plans to change its schedule in the region.
The backdrop is security concerns after attacks on Riyadh's airport (according to Athlon Sports), which NY Fights says are also being discussed in boxing. For UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi on 24 October, White had already ruled out a backup plan: "Nope. We're going."