Abu Dhabi: UFC, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organisation and the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi on Tuesday announced that the much-anticipated UFC Fight Island events will be held at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island next month.
There will be four events on Yas, including one Pay Per View - UFC251 - and three Fight Nights. The action-packed schedule begins with UFC 251 on Saturday, (July 11) and will be followed with successive Fight Night events to be held on July 15 (Wednesday) ; July 18 (Saturday) and July 25. Details for each event, including fight cards, will be announced in coming weeks. Gulf News had first reported about the UAE capital staging the Fight Island on May 31.
To accommodate existing public health guidelines, DCT Abu Dhabi will create a safety zone that will include an arena, hotel, training facilities, and dining establishments. This safety zone will only be open to UFC athletes and their coaches; UFC staff and other event personnel and Yas Island employees who are necessary to ensure the operation of the facilities.
UFC President Dana White said: “We came up with the idea of having fights on ‘Fight Island’ because we needed a destination to hold international events during the global pandemic. Abu Dhabi has been an amazing location to hold fights over the past 10 years and it is the perfect place for these events. The infrastructure we are building will be such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the fighters that’s never been done before – from the arena, the private training facility and the Octagon on the island – it’s going to be an experience that none of us will ever forget. I can’t wait to deliver amazing fights from Yas island”.
Mohammed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “Our partnership with the UFC, now in its second year, has proved to be one of our most successful ventures in recent years. Thanks to their commitment and cooperation, we are proud to announce that Abu Dhabi will host the first ever “Fight Island” event, marking the long-awaited return of UFC fights to the global stage.”
Last year, UFC and DCT Abu Dhabi entered into a groundbreaking five-year partnership to bring UFC events to the emirate. The Khabib versus Poirier event, the first event held under the new agreement, attracted more than 14,000 fans to Yas Island last September.
In the UAE and throughout the rest of the Middle East and North Africa, UFC Fight Island events will be broadcast on UFC Arabia, UFC’s first Arabic language subscription service in the region.
