Ariel Helwani gets brutally honest about Turki Alalshikh being the "most powerful and influential" figure in combat sports

Ariel Helwani has named Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority (GEA), as the most powerful and influential person in combat sports for 2024. Alalshikh’s efforts to revolutionize boxing, MMA, and pro wrestling have placed Saudi Arabia at the forefront of global combat sports.

In a recent clip posted on his X account, Helwani highlighted Alalshikh’s impact:

"We have never seen someone be that influential in all three facets, all three genres [of combat sports] at the same time. Boxing, he has revolutionized, he has the deal with the UFC, there's a Saudi deal with the PFL. Well, UFC is going there for a fight headlined by Israel Adesanya on Feb 1st… And then you see what they're doing in pro wrestling. They just announced that the royal rumble is coming to Saudi in 2026. It's never been outside of the United States.... They're everywhere. He's everywhere. They've revolutionized the game."

Check out Ariel Helwani's post commending Turki Alalshikh below:

Helwani pointed to key milestones, such as an upcoming UFC event headlined by Israel Adesanya in February 2025 and the groundbreaking announcement of WWE’s Royal Rumble being held in Saudi Arabia in 2026—the first time the event will take place outside the United States. The GEA’s involvement has also been evident in frequent collaborations with major promotions like Golden Boy and WWE, underscored by the ubiquitous Riyadh Season logo at events.

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When Turki Alalshikh commented on controversial judging at Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury 2

The rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury ended in controversy, with the Ukrainian retaining his titles via a unanimous 116-112 decision. Fury, experiencing his second career loss, claimed post-fight that he had won by at least three rounds, fueling the ongoing debate about the bout's judging.

The undercard also drew criticism, notably the split decision victory awarded to Johnny Fisher over Dave Allen for the WBA Intercontinental Heavyweight Title. Even Fisher’s father expressed surprise, stating that Allen had done enough to win.

In the wake of the event, Turki Alalshikh, head of Saudi Boxing and a key figure in Riyadh Season, shared his perspective. Speaking as a fan rather than an official, Alalshikh said:

“I needed time to realize what happened last night and I will speak from my heart as a fan not as a person from Riyadh Season team. In the fight between Usyk and Tyson, I counted that Usyk had 4 rounds more… that doesn’t mean Tyson was performing badly, no, he gave us everything but let’s be honest Usyk is one of the greatest boxers of this generation and he’s proved it with big names.”

He added:

“The fight between Fisher and Allen I counted differently and it’s my own opinion, shouldn’t be considered as judgment.”

Check out Turki Alalshikh's post below: