Riyadh paint job poisons multiple UFC Saudi Arabia fighters – ‘Felt like I was breathing through a tube’

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Some of the UFC fighters were facing more than their opponents at UFC Saudi Arabia over the weekend (Sat., Feb. 1, 2025) from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Since the event concluded, there have been rumors that one locker room worth of athletes were dealt a negative hand before the card even started. The room had recently been repainted in preparation for the event, and this caused several fighters to have difficulty breathing during warmups and even in the fight.

“I felt it a little bit,” Terrance McKinney explained to Ariel Helwani when asked about nausea and breathing issues from the paint. “This is probably the best cardio I’ve ever had, running five miles every other day, and I felt it from the paint. They tried to help us by taking some of the ceiling off, but like I said, it affected [Lucas Alexander’s] breathing. He had to go to the hospital two times, and Mike Davis was feeling it too. A lot of fighters were feeling it.”

McKinney, who won his bout in just a couple minutes, isn’t alone in feeling the effects.

“I’m telling you,” UFC Lightweight Mike Davis added. “I was not myself out there. I was out of breathe shadow boxing for the camera. Felt like I was breathing through a tube the whole fight.”

Davis, unfortunately, lost his own match up versus Fares Ziam, snapping a four-fight win streak. Indeed, “Beast Boy” looked off on fight night, pulling guard and looking fatigued in the opening minutes of the contest. He already revealed pre-fight injuries as one factor, but it doesn’t sound like bogus fumes helped his cause.

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