Dana White arrived in Arizona with more than just a fight announcement. During a live event at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, the UFC CEO unveiled the main event for UFC Noche 2026 on September 12 while also revealing that WWE’s Royal Rumble will be heading to the state as part of a new three-year partnership between TKO Group Holdings and the Arizona Sports & Events Alliance.

White explained that the partnership is designed not only to bring marquee events to Arizona but also to generate long-term economic benefits for the state.

“We’ve already announced some of the fights on the card,” White said during the live announcement. “We have Brandon Moreno here today. Brandon Moreno vs. Joseph Morales. Manon Fiorot vs. Alexa Grasso. David Martinez vs. Dan Ige. Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. Curtis Blaydes. And the main event will be Yair Rodriguez vs. Jean Silva. That’s a great fight, ladies and gentlemen. Great fight.

“The WWE will bring one of its biggest annual events here, the Royal Rumble. Nikki Bella and Chelsea Green are here today, and they’ll give you more details on that later in the program.”

The featherweight main event between former title challenger Yair Rodriguez and No. 6-ranked Jean Silva marks Rodriguez’s return from a lengthy injury layoff. At the same time, Silva gets another opportunity to climb into title contention with their UFC Noche headliner bout at the Desert Diamond Arena.

Together with a card featuring Brandon Moreno, Alexa Grasso, and Manon Fiorot, UFC Noche gives Arizona one of the promotion’s strongest lineups of the year. But White made it clear that the vision extends beyond one UFC event.

“But I can tell you this, and most of you already know it: the WWE has a very passionate global fan base that packs stadiums,” White added. “And we’re looking forward to bringing that buzz and economic impact here to Arizona.”

While the 57-year-old did not elaborate on the specifics of the projection envisioned by the partnership, the strategy is straightforward. Major UFC and WWE events routinely attract thousands of traveling fans who spend on hotels, restaurants, transportation, and entertainment, creating a ripple effect for local businesses, directly contributing to Arizona’s local economy. In fact, available data has consistently highlighted the positive impact of sports tourism on state revenues.

According to a 2024 study by Sports ETA, sports tourism generated $47.1 billion in direct spending, resulting in a total economic impact of $114.4 billion across the United States. The sports industry also supported 664,860 full-time and part-time jobs nationwide while contributing $8.5 billion in state and local tax revenues.

With a three-year agreement now in place, TKO is clearly hoping Arizona becomes one of the biggest beneficiaries of that trend. As such, the Arizona Governor has expressed her gratitude to the organization for establishing what she described as a visionary partnership.

Arizona Governor reacts to multi-year partnership with Dana White’s company

Over the next three years, Arizona is set to host a series of blockbuster UFC and WWE events, two of TKO’s most lucrative promotions. Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs welcomed the agreement, describing it as an opportunity to showcase the state while creating lasting economic growth.

“Arizona is proud to be the first state to establish this kind of partnership with TKO, reflecting our commitment to innovative collaborations that create lasting economic opportunity,” Hobbs said in a statement released by WWE. “From hosting world-class sporting events to attracting leading businesses and investment, Arizona continues to prove that we do big things, and do them well.

“We’re excited to partner with TKO to deliver lasting benefits for Arizona residents by driving economic growth, creating opportunity and showcasing everything our state has to offer.”

Alongside UFC and WWE, which are already hosting two big events, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) circuit will also return to Arizona in 2026, with the PBR World Finals already scheduled to take place at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale in 2027. For that, both combat sports fans and PBR enthusiasts will have plenty to look forward to over the next couple of years.

Rather than being a one-off announcement, the agreement signals TKO’s broader strategy of working directly with states to bring premium live events to new markets. If the Arizona partnership delivers the economic impact both sides expect, it could become a model for similar collaborations elsewhere in the United States.