Russia's Economic Aide Signals Efforts to Bring UFC Events Back to Russia

Work is being done to bring UFC events back to Russia, President Vladimir Putin’s economic aide, Kirill Dmitriev, said in a Telegram post on Sunday, signaling renewed efforts to restore ties with global mixed martial arts.

“We are working on the return of UFC tournaments to Russia,” said Dmitriev, who is also the CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF).

Dmitriev’s statement comes amid ongoing talks between Moscow and Washington. He met with US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg earlier this week.

The RDIF head has publicly backed the return of UFC events to Russia before. In early March, he urged Russian fans to “follow the news and believe” in the return of tournaments, shortly after a victory by Russian fighter Magomed Ankalaev, who became the nation’s first UFC light heavyweight champion. Ankalaev defeated Brazil’s Alex Pereira by a unanimous decision in five rounds at UFC 313 in Las Vegas.

UFC President Dana White has also said the organization could return to Russia if diplomatic relations between Washington and Moscow improve. “Trump and Putin have to figure this thing out, you know what I mean? Then we’ll do it,” White told fans during a tournament appearance, according to a video posted on YouTube.

Despite international sanctions, Russian fighters have remained active in global MMA. In February 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended that sports federations bar Russian and Belarusian athletes from competitions. While Russian athletes were excluded from most international events as a result, major MMA promotions – including UFC, Bellator, and One FC – chose not to follow the guidance and continued allowing Russian fighters to compete.

Since 2018, RDIF and several international co-investors have partnered with UFC Russia to develop the mixed martial arts (MMA) industry in the country. Three UFC tournaments were held in Russia between 2018 and 2019.