The pandemic has brought pretty much every sport in the world to a screeching halt this spring. Some of them are still suspended, others, not so much – soccer fans in Europe are already enjoying the leading leagues’ games, even if not in person due to the public health measures meant to keep the virus at bay.
And those loving fighting sports were also lucky. Pro wrestling somehow managed to circumvent all restrictions and still broadcast its shows, Mike Tyson has announced that he is ready to return to the ring after years in retirement, and the UFC events are also going as planned. Well, not exactly – Dana White had some major planning to do to be able to pull some of them off. The frustration of having to repeatedly postpone, reschedule, and change the locations of the events have probably inspired him to take a pretty radical decision: move the UFC to an island.
While many thought of this idea as something worthy of an action movie (actually, there were several of them built around the same idea, from “DOA Dead or Alive” to “Mortal Kombat” or “The Condemned”) it seems that white’s plans are being put in motion.
What is the UFC Fight Island?
Well, it’s pretty much what it sounds like: a private island dedicated to the UFC. The idea seems to have come to him when he tried to push UFC 249 through. The event had a pretty adventurous story: it was originally scheduled to take place on April 18 in New York but it was called off for obvious reasons, then rescheduled for May 9th to be held at the Ginásio do Ibirapuera arena in Sao Paulo in Brazil… but that one was transformed into a field hospital due to the pandemic. Then it was moved to the Tachi Palace Casino Resort in California, a venue on tribal land not subject to federal regulations – but the ESPN stepped in and convinced White to call off the show. Ultimately, the event was held at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, behind closed doors, and with its fight cards seriously reshuffled due to the travel restrictions in force at the time.
During this time, White announced that to avoid restrictions, quarantines, and similar measures, he would find a new location to hold the fights – a private island that will be called (unironically) Fight Island. The plans were ambitious: a place with a hotel where the fighters and the personnel could stay, an octagon on the beach for training, and an arena where the fights could be staged, from where they can be broadcast. All this in a place away from the strict travel restrictions imposed by the US. And the UFC was serious about the matter, even registering trademarks for several products – including clothes and jewelry – for the brand.
… in Abu Dhabi
After much speculation – mostly about a private island off the coast of California, in international waters – White finally announced the location of the Fight Island: Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Yas Island is a multi-purpose leisure and entertainment center, having hosted events like the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix since 2009 and several UFC events between 2010 and 2019. And it will be the place where the UFC 251 will take place on July 11th.
While it’s not exactly what anyone has expected – building the infrastructure alone on an otherwise deserted island would’ve taken years, after all. The island will host four events – the above-mentioned UFC 251 on July 11th and three Fight Night cards on the 15th, 18th, and 25th. The area designated to host the events does have a hotel, an arena, training facilities, and dining establishments. And it will be sealed off: there will be a 10-square-mile “safety zone” that only the people involved in the events – fighters, trainers, and the UFC staff – will be allowed to enter.
And yes, it will have an octagon on the beach.