TKO Faces Pressure As WWE And UFC Staff Question Saudi Arabia Event Plans

WWE and UFC staff raise safety concerns over TKO's Riyadh event schedule.© NDTV Library

TKO employees are pushing back on the company's plan to keep running UFC, WWE and boxing events in Saudi Arabia while missile and drone attacks continue across the region. Staff who spoke anonymously to Uncrownedsay they haven't gotten safety instructions or backup arrangements for upcoming shows, and that includes the UFC Fight Night set for Riyadh on December 5. The U.S. State Department, meanwhile, advises Americans to reconsider travel to Saudi Arabia and has ordered non-emergency government staff to leave. TKO says it is monitoring the situation, and senior leadership has promised that worker safety comes first.

Workers Say TKO Has Not Shared Clear Safety Arrangements for Upcoming Riyadh Events

Inside TKO, the bigger worry isn't only whether the events happen, it's what becomes of the people sent over to produce them.

One employee told Uncrowned that no detailed email had gone out about the December 5 UFC show, adding: “How about a backup plan? How about a safety letter?”Another said staff were left to work out who would have to travel and who might refuse.

The concerns came up after WWE's Crown Jewel event in Riyadh. A missile hit Aramco-owned tower in the city's financial district hours after the show ended, though WWE wrestlers had reportedly left Saudi Arabia by then.

Also, TKO production staff were expected to work the Power Slap event held in Riyadh on November 6, and employees say crews often get assigned across several company properties during the same trip.

TKO Leadership Points to Daily Monitoring While Employees Question the Company's Priorities

TKO executives have described a review process in public. CEO Ari Emanuel told Fox News on October 23 that a team was monitoring conditions daily and had looked at where events could be moved if necessary.

At company town hall, President and COO Mark Shapiro said TKO would “not hesitate”to postpone or cancel shows if there was “danger or a further escalation” in the conflict. He also admitted that cancelling events would hurt the business, but insisted that “business is secondary” to employee safety.

Money sits at the center of the workers' criticism.

TKO raised its 2026 revenue target to $5.83 billion in its third-quarter outlook, and one employee alleged that keeping the Saudi dates was tied to protecting fourth-quarter earnings and shareholder returns.

The State Department's October 23 advisory tells U.S. citizens to reconsider travel to Saudi Arabia, citing armed conflict and the risk of drone and missile attacks.

Reuters reported on November 10 that Saudi forces intercepted missiles aimed at Riyadh.

A Zuffa Boxing card is scheduled for November 14, followed by the UFC event on December 5, and TKO had not announced plans to relocate or postpone either one at publication.