After weeks of speculation about the unknown, UFC President Dana White has finally revealed the details about Fight Island.
Fight Island will be home to four major events between July 11 and 25, located on Yas Island in the United Arab Emirates capital city of Abu Dhabi.
The original idea of Fight Island came about thanks to the ongoing pandemic. UFC needed a destination to hold events and White came across Abu Dhabi as a location.
Fight Island will open with a huge event. UFC 251 will be the inaugural event on Fight Island, which will then be followed by Fight Night cards on July 15, 18, and 25.
The location will be able to host international fighters that are unable to travel to the United States due to certain restrictions. White assures that Fight Island will be equipped with all of the necessary infrastructures to host the fighters and to prepare for the event.
White commented that Fight Island will include training facilities, hotels, and a safety zone. This will include a nearly 10-square mile island that features an arena and dining establishments, as well as the aforementioned facilities.
Fight Island will have its fair share of spectacles. A welterweight fight between Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns will headline UFC 251, with two other title fights taking place on the Island.
UFC and Abu Dhabi signed a five-year deal to hold annual cards there back in 2019. The most recent UFC event on Yas Island was UFC 242, headlined by Khabib Nurmagomedov and Dustin Poirier.
Dana White commented on how the first event at Fight Island is insane and he is right. Headlined by Usman vs. Burns, the Featherweight Championship and Bantamweight Championship will also be defended during UFC 251. 8 fights are currently listed on the card, but it is not known if there will be preliminary fights ahead of the main card.
UFC continues to push boundaries and Fight Island is another landmark in the company’s history. MMA fans all around the globe will tune in to watch the inaugural event. The UFC has been able to host events since returning to action back in May. The recent announcement confirmed that UFC 251 will take place and MMA fans can expect to see UFC events ongoing in the future as well.
