(Reuters) – Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) chief Dana White said on Tuesday the mixed martial arts promotion’s “Fight Island” was located in Abu Dhabi and it will host four events next month including UFC 251.
White had said in April that the UFC was close to securing a private island to stage bouts for international fighters unable to enter the United States due to travel restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said Yas Island was being prepared to host UFC 251 on July 11 and three Fight Night events — on July 15, 18 and 25 — with all the infrastructure needed being set up at the venue which is less than a mile from the international airport.
“Everything will happen on the island,” White said on the UFC’s Facebook page. “Nobody will leave the island.
“They’re going to have their own private training quarters where people can train themselves.
“We really do have an Octagon (for training) out in the sand. The infrastructure’s going to be unbelievable. The people in Abu Dhabi do everything right.”
The three championship fights in UFC 251 will be headlined by the welterweight bout between challenger Gilbert Burns and champion Kamaru Usman.
The UFC postponed several events scheduled between March and May due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, which has killed over 110,800 people in the U.S.
The promotion resumed action without fans present on May 9 in Florida.
Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Davis
