Fans will once again be allowed at Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events, though it will be on a very limited bases. According to The Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism (via MMA Fighting), the trio of events slated to go down this month on “Fight Island” will have a “limited number of spectators” in the new Etihad Arena.
@DCTAbuDhabi is to host the third instalment of UFC Fight Island on @yasisland from 16 to 24 January, welcoming a limited number of spectators to the new Etihad Arena. pic.twitter.com/ALyCyaCRrx
— ???? ?????? ???????? (@admediaoffice) January 7, 2021
According to the department, its proven “safe zone” is what made it possible for a select number of people to attend all three events, starting with UFC Fight Island 7 on Saturday Jan. 16, 2021, which will see Max Holloway take on Calvin Kattar in the headlining bout.
“The triple header will see three mega-fights, utilising Abu Dhabi’s proven ‘safe zone’ concept to protect the health and safety of all delegates, spectators, crew and media,” read a separate tweet.
On Wednesday Jan. 20, UFC Fight Island 8 will feature a Welterweight bout between Michael Chiesa and Neil Magny. A few days later, the promotions latest trip to Abu Dhabi will conclude with the highly-anticipated UFC 257 pay-per-view (PPV) event which will feature a Lightweight bout between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier.
There is no telling if and when fight fans will be allowed into arenas in other countries and cities, specifically Las Vegas, Nevada, which will likely be the promotion’s next destination for its upcoming events.
Of course, this may not be the last time the promotion heads back to “Fight Island,” especially if lockdowns — which are going on nearly a year now — due to the COVID-19 remain in tact.