Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island to host historic “UFC Fight Island”

The much anticipated UFC Fight Island will be held on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island next month.

The announcement was made by UFC and the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi).

UFC will produce four events on Yas Island, including one Pay Per View, UFC 251, as well as three Fight Nights.  

The action-packed schedule begins with UFC 251 on Saturday, July 11, and will be followed with successive Fight Night events to be held on Wednesday, July 15; Saturday, July 18; and Saturday, July 25. 

Details for each event, including fight cards, will be announced in coming weeks. 

To accommodate existing public health guidelines, DCT Abu Dhabi will create a safety zone within the nearly ten square mile (25 km2) Yas Island that will include an arena, hotel, training facilities, and dining establishments.  This safety zone will only be open to UFC athletes and their coaches, UFC staff and other event personnel, and Yas Island employees who are necessary to ensure the operation of the facilities.

H.E. Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “Our partnership with the UFC, now in its second year, has proved to be one of our most successful ventures in recent years. Thanks to their commitment and cooperation, we are proud to announce that Abu Dhabi will host the first ever “Fight Island” event, marking the long-awaited return of UFC fights to the global stage.”
 
UFC President Dana White commented: “We came up with the idea of having fights on ‘Fight Island’ because we needed a destination to hold international events during the global pandemic. Abu Dhabi has been an amazing location to hold fights over the past ten years and it is the perfect place for these events. The infrastructure we are building will be such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the fighters that’s never been done before – from the arena, the private training facility and the Octagon on the island – it’s going to be an experience that none of us will ever forget. I can’t wait to deliver amazing fights from Yas island”.

In 2019, UFC and DCT Abu Dhabi entered into a ground-breaking five-year partnership to bring UFC events to the emirate. UFC 242: Khabib v Poirier, the first event held under the new agreement, attracted more than 14,000 fans to Yas Island last September.