3 UFC fights we hope Turki Alalshikh could finally make happen
By Amy Kaplan
Turki Alalshikh has been the mastermind and the wallet behind some of the biggest boxing fights in the last year or so. He, along with Riyadh Season have made fights happen in the boxing world we never thought we could see. They even just announced a huge partnership with Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions. Alalshikh has also started getting involved in MMA. They just signed on with UFC president Dana White to co-promote the UFC Sphere event and it's led many to wonder with the back of Alalshikh, what else could he make a reality.
1. Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou
First and foremost, fans want to see the heavyweight fight between Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou. We know this is a longshot considering Ngannou isn;t even in the UFC yet and White will probably not want to co-promote with the PFL. But what if it's a boxing fight? Or what if Alalshikh pays what Ngannou wants and brings him back to the UFC? Stranger things have happened and we all know money talks.
2. The return of Khabib Nurmagomedov
White has been outspoken about trying to bring Khabib Nurmagomedov out of retirement. So far he's been unsuccessful. But perhaps with the financial backing of Alalshikh plus the Muslim ties, he might be coaxed out. It could be a huge fight in the Middle East, maybe even a Conor McGregor rematch with Islam Mahkachev on the card too. Imagine how huge that could be.
3. Kayla Harrison and Cris Cyborg
This is probably low priority but if I had my way, this is the fight I'd ask Alalshikh to work on. Similar to the Jones vs. Ngannou fight, we'd need to get these women in the same promotion. I think enough time has passed and White can put his feelings about Cris Cyborg aside to make a fight between her and Kayla Harrison. Cyborg hasn't fought for PFL yet and has been vocal about not being happy there so I think Cyborg could jump at the chance. Alalshikh also mentioned wanting more women on the next card and this could be a big one.
Which MMA fights do you think Alalshikh could finally make happen? Let me know on Twitter.