TKO Locks In Arizona Deal

Arizona is becoming a significant destination for TKO Group's expanding sports portfolio.

The company announced a three-year agreement with Arizona Sports & Events Alliance on Tuesday, bringing UFC, WWE, Zuffa Boxing, and PBR events to the state across multiple venues.

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The first events under the agreement are already confirmed. UFC Noche lands at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale in September, headlined by Yair Rodriguez against Jean Silva. The card features a women's flyweight main card bout between Manon Fiorot and Alexa Grasso, one of the division's most compelling ongoing rivalries. Brandon Moreno faces Joseph Morales at flyweight, David Martinez meets Dan Ige at bantamweight, and Waldo Cortes-Acosta takes on Curtis Blaydes in a heavyweight matchup. The card is five weeks out.

WWE follows in February 2027 with the Royal Rumble at State Farm Stadium. Entrants for next year's event have not been confirmed, but the format is fixed — 30 men and 30 women entering the ring at 90-second to two-minute intervals, with elimination coming when a competitor is thrown over the top rope and both feet touch the floor. Winners from each event earn a championship match at WrestleMania 43.

🎟️ Get tickets: Buy tickets to UFC Noche on Ticketmaster →

PBR rounds out the early confirmed schedule, with the World Finals heading to Desert Diamond Arena in May 2027. The addition of professional bull riding alongside UFC and WWE reflects TKO's positioning as a broader combat and live sports operation rather than a purely MMA-focused entity.

The partnership begins in September. The Rodriguez-Silva card at Desert Diamond Arena is the opening act for what TKO is positioning as a long-running Arizona presence.