Dana White Says Fight Island Isn’t Going Anywhere, Teases Expansion
Dana White has turned the Ultimate Fighting Championship into one of the biggest must-see entertainment outlets in sports; in the sport of MMA that continues to skyrocket in popularity every year.
One of White’s most innovative ideas coincidentally came to life during the COVID-19 pandemic with the “Fight Island” proposal. White and the UFC needed to find a way to host international fights during the unprecedented times, and ended up hosting 12 events during the global lockdowns in Abu Dhabi.
As the world begins to open up and take a slight turn back to normality, White is adament that Fight Island isn’t disappearing; and in fact, it’s going to be an even bigger phenomenon than over the past year.
In a recent interview with Bro Bible, White provided some insight on what fans can expect when it comes to UFC and their relations with Abu Dhabi.
“I’m flying to Abu Dhabi this summer and working on finishing building out the infrastructure of Fight Island,” White confirmed. “Not only is Fight Island not going away, but Fight Island is also going to be even bigger.”
“Fight Island is going to be so badass that it’s about to be this destination in Abu Dhabi for fight fans. This summer I’m going to announce it and walk everyone through what’s going on there. I’m super excited for that.”
When White first announced to the public early last year the plans surrounding Fight Island, many around the MMA community laughed at the idea and felt it wouldn’t work. But White and the UFC brass proved everyone wrong and surpassed expectations, including hosting mega fights such as Kamaru Usman vs. Jorge Masvidal and Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier 2.
His comments seem to indicate that the UFC has big plans for their approach on the world stage, and Abu Dhabi seems to be a big cog in that plan.
Are you excited about Fight Island becoming bigger than previously thought?