UFC 251 First Card Gets Underway on Long-Awaited Fight Island

UFC’s Fight Island location is revealed. The island will host UFC’s 251 main card featuring a fight between Usman and Burns.

Fight Island Will Host the First Card of UFC 251

The UFC Fight Island’s location is finally revealed. UFC president Dana White announced on Twitter yesterday, June 9, that Fight Island is located in the United Arab Emirates capital Abu Dhabi. An island called Yas Island will be the location used for upcoming UFC fights. Despite the world COVID-19 outbreak, the UFC has still managed to hold quite a few events in the US over the last few months. Now UFC 251 will debut on the island with the first fight on set for July 11.

Speculations on whether there would indeed be Fight Island for UFC fights have circulated various news outlets but it’s now clear that White has kept his promise. Although the UFC president gave only hints about Fight Island’s possible location, nobody expected such a quick turnaround. With the recent announcement, Fight Island is no longer a mystic place. It is now known that the island is a real place that will be used mainly for UFC events.

#UFCFightIsland starts July 11, 15, 18 and 25th YAS Island, Abu Dhabi #InAbuDhabi @VisitAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/JGLioBhw4c

— danawhite (@danawhite) June 9, 2020

The island will also feature high-end training and fighting facilities. Fight Island will have a dedicated arena, a hotel for guests and visitors and various dining outlets. In order to ensure the health and safety of fighters and staff during the pandemic, Abu Dhabi will create a safe zone of 10 square miles. Within the zone, only fighters, UFC employees, coaches and other vital members will be allowed.

UFC Fight Island – Date & Place

Fight Island is located on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Here are the upcoming UFC fight dates:

• Saturday, July 11: UFC 251
• Wednesday, July 15: TBD
• Saturday, July 18: TBD
• Saturday, July 25: TBD

The main event will be the fight between Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns. Usman will be defending his welterweight title in the fight. The main card will also feature a rematch for the women’s strawweight. The rematch will be between Rose Namajunas and Jessica Andrade.

The UFC President Comments on the News

UFC president Dana White’s idea about Fight Island initially sounded like a movie play or a video-game plot. Now the island that will be used as arena for UFC fights is a fact, here is what White had to say: “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.” He further noted: “Abu Dhabi has been an amazing location to hold fights over the past 10 years and it is the perfect place for these events.”

The UFC president did not miss to add that the infrastructure will not resemble anything that has seen before. He called the opportunity that the fighters will receive by participating as a “once-in-a-lifetime“. In conclusion, White pointed out that the training facility, the arena and the Octagon on Fight Island, will provide an unforgettable experience.