How Abu Dhabi bought the UFC's undying loyalty

In 2010, Flash Entertainment—a state-owned live entertainment company based in Abu Dhabi—purchased a 10% stake in the UFC, kickstarting a long-term partnership between the world’s leading MMA organization and the UAE government. Much has changed in the 14 years that followed. The UFC entered a formal partnership with Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism, established a “Fight Island” safe zone during the height of a global pandemic, and even helped the Emirate promote a piece of shady AI technology that was implicated in a spyware scandal. So how exactly did Abu Dhabi buy the UFC’s undying loyalty? Tune into the latest edition of the Sports Politika podcast to find out. Sports Politika is a media platform focusing on intersection of sports, power and politics. Support independent journalism by upgrading to a paid subscription ( or gift a subscription if you already have your own). We would appreciate if you could also like the post and let us know what you think in the comment section below. Get full access to Sports Politika at www.sportspolitika.news/subscribe