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Turki Alalshikh is not a fighter. In fact, he had nothing to do with combat sports up until recently. His official position is that of an adviser at the Saudi Royal Court, with his specific title being 'Minister' to differentiate him from others in similar roles. He is also notable for being the leader of country's GEA.
The GEA is the General Entertainment Authority, a department of the Saudi Arabian government, founded to oversee its entertainment industry. Everything from music and film to sports is under its jurisdiction, and this is where Alalshikh steps into play as a prominent figure.
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He is at the helm of Riyadh Season, and was instrumental to the booking of Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou. Naturally, the power that Turki Alalshikh wields over the combat sports world drew Ariel Helwani's attention.
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On The MMA Hour, Helwani discussed prior comments made by Chael Sonnen regarding how he thinks Saudi Arabia and the PFL negotiated the deal that allowed Francis Ngannou to box Tyson Fury:
"Saudi Arabia goes to WWE and says, 'We want these people on the Crown Jewel card. Get them on the card! Goldberg hasn't wrestled in a year? Get him on the card! Undertaker hasn't wrestled? Get him on the card!' Logan Paul against Roman Reigns, why do you think that happened? Cause they asked for it. You can't apply old logic to 2023, especially when it comes to the Saudis (05:26)."
He then touched on how instrumental Alalshikh has been to it all:
"That man that you saw on the show on Monday, Turki Alalshikh, he is the most, arguably, he is the most powerful man in combat sports, because he will get what he wants."
Turki Alalshikh's sports influence
While he is mostly known for his role in facilitating the matchup between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou, Turki Alalshikh doesn't just have his hands on the combat sports world. As the current Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, he has power in every aspect of sports.
Beyond the borders of Saudi Arabia, Alalshikh is the owner of Spanish football club UD Almería, which is currently 17th in La Liga. Alalshikh came into ownership of the club back in 2019.
