Saudi Arabia has granted Premium Residency to Francis Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion in boxing.
Ngannou began his boxing career by facing off against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia. Due to his popularity in Saudi Arabia, the authorities awarded ‘The Predator’ with a Premium Residency before his recent fight against ‘AJ’.
Saudi Arabia has become a significant location for sports events in recent years. Following Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival in the Saudi Pro League, other sports, such as MMA and boxing, have also recognized the Middle Eastern nation as an excellent venue for their events. The Kingdom has been working to reward athletes for their hard work, as evidenced by Francis Ngannou’s recent reward.
Saudi Arabia has introduced the Premium Residency award to establish itself as the leading sporting hub worldwide and attract world-class athletes. Francis Ngannou was announced as the latest award recipient on Thursday night by Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, through his Snapchat account.
Francis Ngannou has been granted the Premium Residency award due to his popularity as a star in both MMA and boxing among Saudi Arabians. Although he narrowly lost to Tyson Fury, this defeat actually helped boost his popularity among fans in Saudi Arabia. However, despite coming close to defeating the ‘Gypsy King’, Ngannou could not overcome Anthony Joshua.
Over the past decade, Saudi Arabia has become more attractive to foreign investors, enabling it to develop into a financial hub and boosting its economy.