Why Cristiano Ronaldo Wasn’t at the Big Boxing Event in Riyadh

Despite having a seat reserved for him at one of the biggest boxing nights in Riyadh, Cristiano Ronaldo was nowhere to be seen.

The 40-year-old football star is a well-known fan of combat sports, often spotted at boxing and MMA events, so his absence raised a lot of questions among fans.

A Reserved Seat and High Expectations

Leading up to the event, it was clear that Ronaldo was expected to be present.

Sky Sports even shared a video showing a seat labeled ‘CR7’ right next to the boxing ring, so fans were buzzing with anticipation.

But as the night unfolded, there was no sign of the Al-Nassr star.

Dmitry Bivol’s Victory

The main event of the night saw Dmitry Bivol face off against Artur Beterbiev in what turned out to be an intense 12-round battle.

Bivol emerged victorious, securing the undisputed light heavyweight title and handing Beterbiev his first-ever loss.

It was a historic moment for boxing fans, but without Ronaldo in attendance, it felt like something was missing.

Ronaldo’s Absence Explained

It didn’t take long for Ronaldo to explain why he wasn’t at the fight.

The Portuguese forward took to social media, sharing a photo of himself with Saudi Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman at the Saudi Cup. The Saudi Cup is the world’s richest horse race, and Ronaldo was in high spirits, enjoying the event and celebrating Saudi Arabia’s Founding Day.

He captioned the photo, “Happy to celebrate Founding Day with His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and honored to attend the Saudi Cup horse race ceremony in Riyadh.

” During the race, the horse Forever Young triumphed over Romantic Warrior, making it a memorable event for all involved.

A Tough Loss for Al-Nassr

It’s worth noting that Ronaldo had just come off a tough loss with his club, Al-Nassr, who were defeated 3-2 by Al-Ettifaq the day before.

The loss dropped Al-Nassr to fourth in the Saudi Pro League standings, trailing leaders Al-Ittihad by 11 points.

Ronaldo, visibly frustrated during the match, had been involved in some tense moments, especially after a new signing, Jhon Duran, was sent off in the game’s closing minutes.

Ronaldo’s Combat Sports Passion

Despite his absence from the boxing ring, Ronaldo is no stranger to fight events.

Since moving to Saudi Arabia, he has regularly attended major combat sports shows, often seen chatting with top fighters like Conor McGregor and Anthony Joshua.

His friendship with fighters such as Francis Ngannou and Khabib Nurmagomedov is well known, and he’s made many appearances at big events, like the Day of Reckoning in December 2023.

So, while Ronaldo didn’t make it to the boxing event this time, his passion for combat sports remains as strong as ever.

This article was published on TDPel Media. Thanks for reading!

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