TKO Announces 'Landmark' Deal To Bring WWE, UFC & More To Arizona

WWE and its parent company TKO Group Holdings have been in the news quite a bit recently, and probably not in the way they'd like given the recent focus on WWE releases and pay cuts, seemingly ordered by TKO in the midst of their executives receiving raises. Today, however, the news cycle will shift to another, less controversial TKO development, one that will see them taking WWE and their other companies to the state of Arizona.

In a Tuesday morning press release, TKO announced a "landmark," multi-year deal with the Arizona Sports & Events Alliance to run several TKO events in Arizona. This would include shows from WWE, UFC, PBR (Professional Bull Riders), and Zuffa Boxing. Interestingly enough, no firm dates were given for when any of these events would take place over the next few years, and if it would involve Arizona receiving major WWE/UFC/Zuffa/PBR events, or perhaps more lowkey shows such as "WWE Raw" or "SmackDown." Instead, the release stated additional details would be made available later on.

"We're excited to build this long-term partnership with the Arizona Sports & Events Alliance to bring some of our biggest events to the state," TKO's EVP of Event Development and Operations Peter Dropick said in a statement. "We look forward to creating unforgettable moments for fans across the region over the next three years."

WWE is no stranger to the Arizona area, and has already run one event in the state this year, with the March 13 episode of "SmackDown" taking place in Phoenix. UFC, however, has had less of a presence, having not held an event in Arizona since UFC 274 in Phoenix back in May 2022. The fight promotion had previously held seven other events in Arizona, either in Phoenix or in Glendale.