Mixed martial arts: Dana White reveals Abu Dhabi as location for UFC 'Fight Island'

Dana White
Dana White Photo credit: Image - Getty

UFC boss Dana White has finally revealed the location of the mysterious 'Fight Island', with Yas Island in Abu Dhabi hosting at least four events in July.

Those events include a blockbuster UFC 251, which includes three title fights, headlined by a welterweight scrap between champion Kamuru Usman and teammate Gilbert Burns.

The card also sees Auckland-based Aussie Alexander Volkanovski defend his featherweight belt against archrival Max Holloway.

UFC 251 will take place on July 12, with further events to follow on July 16, 19 and 26.

The designated area of Yas Island that will make up Fight Island includes an arena, hotel, training facilities and dining establishments. In addition, a 'safety zone' of 26 square kilometres, where only athletes, coaches, UFC staff and limited personnel will be permitted.

UFC has used the venue previously, including Khabib Nurmagomedov's lightweight title defence against Dustin Poirier last September.

"We're literally just going to Yas Island right now to pull off these fights, because the hardest thing to do is to get people into the country from other parts of the world," White says.

"We are a true global business - we're the only ones that are pulling off live sports right now - and if I continue to do fights in the United States, I'm gonna burn out all my American talent.

"Now we've got Yas Island ready to go - it's set up."

Mixed martial arts: Dana White reveals Abu Dhabi as location for UFC 'Fight Island'
Photo credit: UFC

White told ESPN he planned to spend the next four weeks at the location before the first event.

The July 19 card will crown a new flyweight champion, when Joseph Benavidez meets Deiveson Figueiredo. The two clashed earlier this year for the vacant title, with Figueiredo winning via knockout, but he was ineligible to claim the title, after failing to make weight.

UFC 251 bouts

  • Welterweight title: Kamaru Usman v Gilbert Burns 
  • Featherweight title: Alexander Volkanovski v Max Holloway 
  • Bantamweight title: Jose Aldo v Petr Yan
  • Amanda Ribas v Paige VanZant
  • Frankie Edgar v Pedro Munhoz
  • Shamil Abdurakhimov v Ciryl Gane
  • Volkan Oezdemir v Jiri Prochazka
Mixed martial arts: Dana White reveals Abu Dhabi as location for UFC 'Fight Island'