By Amara Osei

TKO reportedly expects its Middle East schedule to proceed despite employee objections, with two scheduled events at issue:

• Nov. 14: Zuffa Boxing event in the Middle East.
• Dec. 5: UFC show in Saudi Arabia.

The parent company of WWE and UFC is maintaining that course even as some staff consider refusing travel and fear dismissal before Christmas. An Uncrowned report carried by Yahoo Sports described growing frustration among employees, who questioned why TKO continues sending workers to Riyadh.

Concerns sharpened after WWE Crown Jewel ended on a Saturday in the Saudi capital, when a missile struck a tower owned by state-run oil company Aramco in the city’s financial district hours later. WWE wrestlers had reportedly left Saudi Arabia before the attack, but some employees said their own safety had not become a company priority.

TKO has held several WWE and UFC events in Saudi Arabia amid missile and drone attacks by the Houthi militia in Yemen and an ongoing military conflict across the region.

What is driving TKO’s risk decision?

One employee said financial considerations, rather than security, explain TKO’s continued event schedule.

“Why are you still even having these shows at this point? I think the answer is, if they chose not to do the show, they would lose out on millions and millions of dollars.”

The source said skipping shows in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Doha or other locations would reduce fourth-quarter earnings and leave shareholders with less money. The employee called the motive greed, accused TKO of disregarding employee welfare and described its level of greed as gross.

TKO President Mark Shapiro addressed safety before Crown Jewel and sought to balance the company’s business interests with worker protection. A second employee challenged TKO’s standards because the company relies on the US State Department’s assessment of whether travel is safe; the employee argued that any government concern should trigger postponement.

That employee said executives focused on whether the State Department considered flying acceptable, while other employees wanted postponement whenever Washington had to consider the issue. Six Kings Slam tennis and the PIF Saudi International golf tournament did not proceed following the attacks, unlike TKO’s planned schedule.

Are staff receiving adequate safety plans?

One employee said TKO had not given staff proper details about safety plans for the Dec. 5 UFC event. No email set out the arrangements, and TKO supplied neither a backup plan nor a safety letter defining contingencies, alternative actions and a meeting point.

Another employee said the communication failure and lack of appreciation had intensified frustration across the company. Workers felt that TKO treated them badly, and that neither employee welfare nor transparent planning had received meaningful attention.

Can employees refuse the assignments?

Some staff discussed ways to avoid travel, and some proposed waiting until flight time before telling executives they would not go. Uncertainty over the consequences of refusal discouraged follow-through.

One employee said:

“But I don’t know how many will follow through with that. This is a company that can fire you for no reason or any reason. Everyone just can’t believe this is a choice that they are being forced to make — fly into a war zone or risk getting fired before Christmas.”

The source described the decision as coercive because employees had to weigh travel into a conflict zone against losing their jobs. The report said staff members increasingly felt they had only two options: accept the assignments or leave TKO.

Another employee said workers had reached the view that nothing would change, adding that fighters were poorly paid and had begun speaking for themselves. The source said the broader grievance extended beyond fighters to camera personnel and other employees throughout TKO.

What remains at stake?

TKO expects its Middle East events to proceed as scheduled, according to the report. That commitment places its Nov. 14 boxing event and Dec. 5 UFC show against unresolved security questions, incomplete staff communication and an internal employment dispute.

A separate linked report said WWE wrestler Gunther refused to travel to Saudi Arabia for WWE Crown Jewel 2026. The refusal adds a visible athlete-level challenge to TKO’s insistence that the company can continue operating in the region while employees question both safety planning and management’s priorities.