Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Dana White posts a photo of Fight Island ahead of the UFC’s debut on Yas Island next month.
You might have noticed Dana White wasn’t in attendance for UFC on ESPN 12 on Saturday, and that’s because the UFC president was overseeing operations on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi ahead of the promotion’s highly anticipated launch of Fight Island on July 11.
White recently posted a photo of an Octagon on the beach with the caption ‘Fight Island baby!!’ in one of his Instagram stories (h/t MMA Fighting), giving fighters a glimpse into what they can expect when they land on Yas Island.
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Fighters will be able to train on the beach but events will take place inside an arena called the UFC Fight Island facility. All fighters will be able to eat, train, and sleep on Yas Island.
Per MMA Fighting, ‘the UFC has cordoned off a 10 square mile section where only the fighters, staff and personnel will be allowed’ as part of precautions taken to help contain the spread of COVID-19.
The first event on Fight Island will be UFC 251, which is scheduled to take place on July 11. The premiere fight promotion will follow up with three more international events on July 15, July 18, and July 25 before the UFC heads back to the APEX facility in Las Vegas.