TKO Group Holdings President and CEO Mark Shapiro said the company’s Saudi Arabian partners have reaffirmed their financial commitment to UFC, WWE and Zuffa Boxing properties through 2026 and beyond, distinguishing TKO’s position from the recent funding pullback at LIV Golf.

Speaking on a TKO investor call, Shapiro addressed the company’s Middle East slate, the broader question of Saudi investment in combat sports and entertainment properties, and provided fresh figures on Zuffa Boxing’s growth.

“First and foremost, we are firmly moving ahead with our scheduled events,” Shapiro said. “Building on a successful debut in 2025, UFC returns to Azerbaijan with UFC Fight Night Baku on June 27th. That same night, WWE hosts Night of Champions from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.”

Shapiro framed the doubleheader as a marker of TKO’s regional strategy. “This historic TKO doubleheader reflects our commitment with our respective partners to bring world-class events to fans across the region, even despite a challenging environment.”

Saudi Commitment Reaffirmed

The most pointed portion of Shapiro’s remarks addressed reports surrounding the Public Investment Fund and LIV Golf. The Saudi sovereign wealth fund’s relationship with the breakaway golf circuit has come under scrutiny, with reporting from ESPN and other outlets covering shifts in PIF’s golf strategy.

“I would add that, following the news of PIF withdrawing its funding in LIV Golf, our partners in Saudi Arabia have confirmed that will not be the case with TKO,” Shapiro said. “Their commitment to our properties in 2026 and beyond is unwavering.”

Shapiro said TKO’s planned 2026 Middle East schedule remains intact. “After these two events, we expect the remainder of our 2026 slate in the Middle East, comprised of six events inclusive of UFC, WWE, and Zuffa Boxing, to take place as planned. The demand is real. Our partners are committed, and we’re leaning in.”

He closed that portion of his remarks by characterizing TKO’s overall financial posture, saying the company “benefits from having defensive model business characteristics.”

Zuffa Boxing: 100-Plus Fighters Signed, Vegas Debut Ahead

Shapiro also provided a progress report on Zuffa Boxing, the boxing arm folded into TKO’s portfolio, citing fighter signings, early broadcast results, and an expanding international media footprint.

“We’ve already signed more than 100 fighters,” Shapiro said. “We’ve staged five events with solid viewership on Paramount+, and we’ve secured a multi-year deal for Sky Sports, two of the most pivotal and important boxing markets in the world. We’re also signing media rights deals spanning EMEA.”

Shapiro credited TKO’s commercial arm with assembling the rights packages and pointed to a U.S. venue announcement as the next step. “IMG responsible for all the deals across, and now with events about to debut at the MGM Apex in Las Vegas. The next phase of our growth plan.”

The Sky Sports agreement gives Zuffa Boxing a foothold in the United Kingdom market, where the broadcaster has long been a central distributor of major boxing programming. The Paramount+ relationship has served as the U.S. distribution channel for the property’s initial slate of events.

Implications for Zuffa Boxing

Shapiro’s inclusion of Zuffa Boxing among the six planned 2026 Middle East events is the most direct public confirmation to date that TKO’s boxing arm is on the regional schedule alongside UFC and WWE. Zuffa Boxing has been building toward a slate of events backed in part by Saudi entertainment authority chairman Turki Alalshikh, who has played a central role in funding marquee boxing programming in recent years through Riyadh Season.

The reference to Zuffa Boxing appearing on equal footing with UFC and WWE in Shapiro’s prepared remarks signals the property’s standing within TKO’s regional planning. Combined with the 100-plus fighter signings, the Sky Sports deal, the EMEA rights push, and the planned Las Vegas debut at MGM Apex, the investor call presented Zuffa Boxing as a property scaling on multiple fronts simultaneously.

Neither Shapiro nor TKO disclosed which six events would make up the 2026 Middle East slate, the dates of those events, or the specific breakdown between UFC, WWE and Zuffa Boxing programming. The company has not announced dates for the MGM Apex events beyond confirming the venue as the next step in the rollout.

TKO Group Holdings is the parent company of UFC and WWE following the 2023 merger, with Zuffa Boxing added to the portfolio as part of the company’s expansion into professional boxing.