Why did the "Rumble in the Jungle" boxing match between George Foreman and Muhammad Ali take place in Zaire?

by The_Skinnyjon

I'm curious about this, especially because my inclination is to compare it as similar to the situation happening with the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Am I wrong to do this? (Also feel free to ignore this part as I realize it may be against the rules)

Why did the match take place in Zaire rather than anywhere else?

eugoogooly

Long story short, Don King (the promoter of the fight) didn't have enough money for the purse and began looking for another country willing to pay for it, the then president of Zaire, Mobutu Sese Seko, wanted more publicity for the country and basically paid for it.