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His Excellency Turki Alalshikh has become a household name in the world of combat sports. He stands front and center of Saudi Arabia's boxing expansion, making Riyadh Season an annual spectacle for the unthinkable. Matchups previously thought impossible have become the norm for him.
He accomplished what has eluded even the most tenured boxing promoters with relative ease. With no shortage of funds and a keen eye for what appeals to fighters and fight fans, it is no wonder that he has been able to put together the kind of bouts that followers of 'The Sweet Science' have clamored for.
Fans had to wait for years until Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao locked horns. By then, both men were well past their respective primes. However, with Alalshikh at boxing's helm, fighters are finally fighting each other.
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Turki Alalshikh and the last great MMA vs. boxing crossover
After Anthony Joshua's earth-shattering knockout of Francis Ngannou, a stoppage preceded by a flawless performance complete with an abundance of knockdowns, it is hard to imagine anyone will clamor to see more MMA fighters cross over into the boxing ring. But at one point, there was.
The matchup itself drew a tremendous amount of attention due to the former UFC heavyweight champion's incredible performance against the unbeaten Tyson Fury, who many believe 'The Predator' had done enough to beat. Regardless, both bouts were only made possible by Alalshikh himself.
Ngannou had parted ways with the UFC, then found a new home in the PFL, who gave him the freedom to pursue boxing, and Alalshikh wasted no time in securing Ngannou's services for a fight with Fury. Not since Conor McGregor's disastrous clash with Floyd Mayweather Jr. had such a thing happened.
This, however, only marked the start of Alalshikh's all-conquering approach to boxing.
Turki Alalshikh and the future of boxing
One of boxing's most frequent criticisms is how often top fighters avoid each other, which isn't nearly as prevalent in the UFC or MMA in general. Turki Alalshikh seeks to change that, having taken a special interest in heavyweight boxing. This weekend, two unbeaten heavyweight champions are set to lock horns.
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will pit their spotless records in a matchup that will crown the undisputed heavyweight boxing king of the world. The winner is expected to face a resurgent Anthony Joshua. This is noteworthy for the simple fact of how long fans have waited for such fights.
Check out Turki Alalshikh's promo for Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk:
Fury is a notoriously stiff negotiator who hasn't faced much elite competition besides Deontay Wilder. While he has been linked to top-level opponents like Joshua and Usyk for years, an official matchup, no matter how many times it was teased, seemed like wishful thinking.
However, thanks to Alalshikh, Tyson vs. Usyk is real, and will take place this Saturday. The winner faces Joshua at a later date. Wilder, meanwhile, will take on fellow power-puncher Zhilei Zhang, after which he faces young undefeated knockout artist, Jared Anderson.
