In a hugely hyped crossover duel, WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and former UFC heavyweight king Francis Ngannou duked it out over 10 rounds on October 28 2023 at a specially-constructed arena as part of Saudi Arabia's Riyadh Season.
The MMA fighter threatened a shock, knocking Fury (33-0-1, 24 KOs) down but suffering a points defeat on a night when Ngannou made his name in his new sport and damaged his opponent's reputation.
There was one more colossal night of boxing to come before the end of the year when Anthony Joshua beat Otto Wallin and Deontay Wilder sustained a surprise defeat to Joseph Parker at the top of a heavyweight-filled bill titled 'Day of Reckoning' on December 23.
Fury is scheduled to return to Riyadh on February 17 to face Oleksandr Usyk for the right to be undisputed heavyweight champion.
Saudi Arabia continues to venture into boxing and sport and the country has had a varied lineup over the years.
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George Groves vs. Callum Smith, September 2018
The World Boxing Super Series crown and the WBA super-middleweight title were on the line when English fighters George Groves and Callum Smith clashed at the Sports City.
"This could be the start of something big down there," promoter Kalle Sauerland said of Saudi Arabia at the time. "There's not a promoter on this planet of any meaning who hasn't travelled down to that region to try to put on boxing."
Sauerland compared the event to 'The Rumble in the Jungle' in 1974, when Muhammad Ali fought George Foreman, and the 'Thrilla in Manila' a year later, when Ali and Joe Frazier met in a trilogy bout in the Philippines.
Groves had taken part in one of the most heavily attended British fights of all time when he lost to Carl Froch in their rematch at Wembley Stadium in 2014, and the Londoner was knocked out by Liverpudlian Smith in the seventh round in Saudi Arabia.
Andy Ruiz vs. Anthony Joshua, December 2019
A replacement opponent, Andy Ruiz's failure to win his only world title challenge three years earlier had not left too many expecting an upset when the American originally faced Joshua in New York in June 2019.
In a seismic shock, Joshua was troubled almost from the start by a fighter who appeared notably his athletic inferior, with the fight waved off in the seventh round to set up a huge rematch that took place at the Diriyah Arena that December.
Heading to Saudi Arabia was remarkably lucrative for both fighters. Joshua is thought to have earned around $60 million (£49.2 million) from the second scrap.
Rather than trade with the demonstrably dangerous Ruiz, Joshua boxed cleverly to regain his titles, carefully avoiding firepower to earn a unanimous decision in the 'Clash on the Dunes'.
Ruiz later spoke of his regret over his lifestyle and weight gain between the fights, but many fans felt an affinity with the likeable underdog who had shown understandable fallibility amid the riches that came with one of the greatest and most conclusive upsets of all time.
Anthony Joshua vs. Oleksandr Usyk, August 2022
In his 20th professional fight, Usyk successfully defended his WBA, IBF and WBO titles, while picking up the vacant Ring Magazine championship by outpointing Joshua for a second time. The Ukrainian star prevailed by split decision after a bout that rivalled their first encounter for action.
Joshua fought a much better fight this time around but fell just short against his fellow Olympic gold medalist. Once again, Usyk used rapier hand speed, adept movement and quick feet to get the better of the naturally bigger man.
Following the third loss of his professional career, Joshua suffered something of a meltdown when he tossed two of Usyk's belts to the canvas in obvious frustration at the result.
It was reported that Joshua and Usyk split a cool $150 million for this rematch.
Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury, February 2023
If the numbers are anything to go by, then YouTuber Jake Paul timed his commitment to challenge an authentic professional boxer to perfection. The Problem Child's cruiserweight showdown against Tommy Fury generated 800,000 PPV buys and both men made multi-million dollar paydays.
The eight-round bout was largely disappointing, though it was Fury who controlled most of it. The former Love Island star and half-brother of reigning WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury made his jab work, timed the odd power shot and avoided the biggest of Paul's ponderous blows.
The only moment of drama came when Paul was given credit for a knockdown in the final round. Even then, Fury appeared to lose his footing after absorbing a jab and he wasn't close to being seriously hurt. By that time, the Englishman's points lead was insurmountable.
Which other international sporting events have been held in Saudi Arabia?
An increasing number of notable sporting events have been held in Saudi Arabia. British driver Lewis Hamilton won the country's first ever Formula One Grand Prix in December 2021, and reigning champion Max Verstappen won the second the following March.
The King Abdullah International Stadium, King Saud University Stadium, King Fahd International Stadium, Mohammed Abdu Arena and the Super Dome have all hosted WWE events since 2018.
Real Madrid have won both editions of the four-team Supercopa de Espana played in Saudi Arabia, beating Atletico Madrid on penalties at the King Abdullah International Stadium in January 2020 and Athletic Bilbao at the King Fahd International Stadium two years later.
The Supercoppa Italiana has also twice been staged in Saudi Arabia in recent seasons. Cristiano Ronaldo scored the only goal as Juventus beat AC Milan at King Abdullah Sports City in January 2019, and the Bianconeri were beaten 3-1 by Lazio a year later at King Saud University Stadium.
The penultimate round of the eight-event LIV Golf Invitational Series was held at the Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in October, and the Saudi Cup — the world's richest horse race, with a purse of $20m — has been held annually since 2020.
The semifinals and final of the Supercopa de Espana will be held at Al Nassr's Alawwal Park Stadium home in January, and a tennis tournament staged on December 26 and 27 featured Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka and Ons Jabeur.
Messi vs Ronaldo 2024: Inter Miami vs Al Nassr
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo could meet on the pitch for the first time in more than a year in a friendly billed as "the last dance of football greatness" by organisers in Saudi Arabia.
The head of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority Turki Alalshikh announced in November that the Ballon d'Or holder's side, Inter Miami, would meet Ronaldo's Al Nassr in the Riyadh Season Cup in February 2024.
Al Hilal, who currently lead the Saudi Pro League from Al Nassr and count Neymar, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Ruben Neves and Kalidou Koulibaly among their star players, were also slated to be involved in the three-team round-robin showpiece, with the club's 26,000 capacity Kingdom Arena serving as the host venue.
However, Inter Miami then released a statement branding the announcement as "inaccurate". It added that franchise owner Jorge Mas "has made no comments, publicly or privately, in relation to the preseason tour."
What is Riyadh Season?
First held in 2019, the annual season of cultural events across Riyadh always features star names from the worlds of sport and entertainment.
Fury and Ngannou's bout, in which the MMA fighter almost shocked the undefeated WBC heavyweight champion on his boxing debut, was attended by a large number of celebrities including rap stars Kanye West and Eminem.
Ronaldo and Conor McGregor - the best-known MMA fighter and one of the richest athletes of all time - were in attendance together for the Day of Reckoning.