Tag: Fight Island

Dana White’s ‘Fight Island’ may no longer be needed due to the fact America appears to be ready to open up its borders for foreign athletes. The UFC BOSS has been working away for several weeks to find an alternative venue to host events for his international fighters who have been barred entry to the United States during the ongoing pandemic.

In April White announced he had secured a private island and planned to host fights on it. Last week White said ‘Fight Island’ is almost ready to go and will host events several events in June. Now though, it appears all of his efforts may have been for nothing. A recent announcement from Homeland Security appears to have given the green light for foreign athletes to begin travelling to the U.S to compete in sporting events. Yesterday a statement was released on the DHS website, it read.

“In support of the Trump Administration’s reopening of the economy, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad F. Wolf signed an order that exempts certain foreign professional athletes who compete in professional sporting events organized by certain leagues, including their essential staff and their dependents, from proclamations barring their entry into the U.S.”

“Professional sporting events provide much needed economic benefits, but equally important, they provide community pride and national unity,” said Acting Secretary Wolf in the same release. “In today’s environment, Americans need their sports. It’s time to reopen the economy and it’s time we get our professional athletes back to work.”

“The order, signed on May 22, 2020, states that it is in the national interest to except aliens who compete in professional sporting events organized by certain professional sporting groups, including their professional staff, team and league leadership, spouses, and dependents, from entry restrictions laid out in Proclamations 9984, 9992, 9993, and 9996.”

Do you think Dana White will still host events on ‘Fight Island’?

The UFC will begin hosting events from Dana White’s Fight Island as early as July according to a new report from Ariel Helwani of ESPN. Since the beginning of the ongoing global pandemic White has been determined to continue hosting shows despite the various obstacles standing in his way.

So far, he has managed to pull off three events which have primarily consisted of American or American based fighters. To allow his international fighters to compete White has purchased a private island and is currently building the infrastructure that will make it a safe host venue for shows.

“I have a private island that I’ve secured,” White told TMZ in April. “We are getting the infrastructure put in now so I’m going to start doing the international fights too with international fighters. I won’t be able to get the international fighters, all of them into the US, so I have a private island. I’m going to start flying them all into the private island and do international fights from there.”

According to Helwani the Fight Island is now much more than a UFC pipe dream, as the promotion has begun to book fights that will most likely take place on the island later this summer.

“Starting to hear more chatter about Fight Island events in the summer (July),” Helwani wrote on social media. “No specific location yet but for the first time it feels more real with specific dates and fights being discussed.”

As of right now no-one has any idea exactly where the island is or how everything will work. Despite that the vast majority of UFC fighters have expressed an interest in competing on the island and being a part of this quirky piece of history.

Which fighter do you want to see compete on Fight Island later this summer?