In boxing, it is a highly anticipated face-to-face this Saturday evening, May 18, between the British Tyson Fury and the Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk. The winner would become undisputed champion of the heavyweight category. This match is billed as the fight of the century, with more than $100 million at stake. It is being held in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, and is another example of financial efforts to attract high-profile sporting events.
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We will know more precisely the boxers’ earnings only after the fight, but we already know that the sums at stake are gigantic. More than $100 million, according to Tyson Fury’s promoter. It was necessary to attract a fight of this magnitude.
But this is not the first time that Saudi Arabia has pulled out its checkbook for combat sports. At the end of last year, it was already Riyadh which hosted the face-to-face between Tyson Fury, again, and the Cameroonian and MMA champion, Francis Ngannou.
Read alsoBoxing: Briton Fury narrowly beats Cameroonian Ngannou
The Saudi kingdom has also invested in the global MMA league, mixed martial arts. A way to diversify your investments in sport. The country has been hosting a Formula 1 grand prix since 2021, and above all has been spending lavishly in football for several years.
Saudi Arabia thus succeeded in attract Cristiano Ronaldo or Karim Benzema in its national football championship. It is about improving its international image and trying to forget human rights violations in the country.