Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, said work will soon begin on a UFC event in Russia. He made the remark after video emerged of Dana White at a White House briefing, where White said it had always been his dream to do it. Dmitriev made a similar promise in spring of last year, and no UFC event in Russia has materialised since.
Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, has said that work on staging a UFC event in Russia will begin soon. The claim is not officially confirmed by the UFC, and nothing in the report points to a date, venue or card.
Dmitriev's remark followed the appearance of video showing UFC CEO Dana White at a White House briefing. In that footage, White said it had always been his dream to hold such an event in Russia. Dmitriev pointed to those comments as he spoke about the plan moving forward.
The promise is not a new one. Dmitriev made a similar pledge in the spring of last year, and no UFC event in Russia has materialised in the time since. That gap between announcement and delivery is the central context for the latest comments, and it is a reason to treat the new timeline with caution until the promotion itself says something concrete.
What to watch
- Whether the UFC or White publicly confirms any planning, beyond the dream White described in the briefing footage.
- Whether any specifics emerge, such as a location, a date or a proposed fight card.
- Whether this round of talk produces more than the one that came before it, given that nothing followed last spring's promise.
For now, the story rests on a public statement from a Russian investment official and a recording of White expressing a long-held ambition. Neither amounts to an agreement or a scheduled event. The UFC has not been quoted confirming that any work is underway, and no fighters have been linked to a potential Russian card.
Russia has a deep pool of fighters across the sport, which is part of why the idea draws attention whenever it resurfaces. But a promotional ambition and a working plan are different things, and the history here shows how far apart they can sit. Any move from talk to action would need to come from the UFC's side, and so far that has not been reported.
