You’d think with all the time on the internet we’ve had recently (#StayAtHome, #StayOnTheWeb) that we’d have heard about this, but it’s our first time learning that an island off of Abu Dhabi has been transformed into an all UFC all-the-time, COVID-safe arena. According to TMZ, it took 400,000 man-hours and 350 tons of metal  to create a main fight arena, the beach Octagon and other facilities necessary to host all of the upcoming UFC events – along with some super rigorous testing to keep fighters and staff healthy and safe. Via TMZ:

Dana White just dropped the hype video showing the tremendous effort it took to bring Fight Island to life in just a few months … transforming part of Yas Island in Abu Dhabi into a city custom-built for the UFC.

Of course, Fight Island was created to provide a safe place for the UFC to host fights in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic — so, there was clearly an emphasis on testing facilities on the premises.

White has said all fighters and their crews will undergo 5 rounds of testing — starting with tests before they board their flights to Yas Island.

Once on the island, there will be 3 more rounds of testing before the fights — and then a final post-fight test before fighters are allowed to fly home.

There is a massive security presence on the Island to keep things safe — and Dana White is fired up!

“I can’t wait to get there,” White said.

The first event on Fight Island is UFC 251 on July 11 — featuring some crazy bouts … including Kamaru Usman vs. Gilbert Burns.

Check out the video below to see what Fight Island is all about.

 

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UFC Fight Island Part 2!! I can’t wait to get there. #YasIsland #InAbuDhabi

A post shared by Dana White (@danawhite) on Jun 30, 2020 at 1:19pm PDT