Dana White Says UFC Will Move to Fight Island as USA Increases Vaccine Restrictions

Published 10/20/2021, 9:59 AM EDT

UFC President Dana White believes that Fight Island will play an important role again in the future. This comes after news surfaced that international fighters will have to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to enter the U.S.

The UFC recently sent out a memo to all its international fighters, telling them about the new travel restrictions being implemented by the U.S. government. The restrictions imply that any UFC fighter entering the U.S. from another country will have to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

According to White, shifting events away from the U.S. is a real possibility. Fight Island is something UFC came up with during the COVID-19 pandemic. UFC can again look towards it during this time.

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Dana White, in a press conference, said, “Yeah, I’ve been telling you guys through this whole thing. You’re like, what about this, what about that? I said I have no idea how all this nuttiness is going to play out, but here we go. I think Fight Island is going to be hopping again.

“Yeah, we’re looking to do more events. I’m going to Abu Dhabi next Wednesday, so I have a lot of meetings out there. I’ve been dying to walk you guys through what’s been going on in Abu Dhabi anyways, so this trip I’ll get everything done, buttoned-up, and finished,” he added.

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Return to the Fight Island

Fight Island came into play between 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. UFC, during the pandemic when fighters weren’t allowed entry into the U.S., came up with the idea of an isolated island, where the events could take place. Yas Island in Abu Dhabi was the location for the fight Island. Bio-bubbles were established at the location, where only fighters and staff members were allowed, and it was not open to the public.

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The idea to have a Fight Island helped the promotion massively. They could go through with some of the biggest events in UFC history, with little hassle. UFC 251, UFC 253, and UFC 254 are just some of the events that took place there, and they involved some of the biggest names in MMA.

If the new restrictions force the UFC to move their events outside of the U.S., Fight Island is a safe bet. It produced some of the most memorable moments in UFC history, and fans will be excited for sure.

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What do you make of the new restrictions? Will you be excited to see the UFC go back to Fight Island? Let us know your thoughts.

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Written by:

Arunaditya is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. Having completed his Post Graduate Diploma in Multimedia Journalism from IIJNM, Arunaditya aspires to be an important voice in the world of MMA and interview the likes of Jon Jones, Conor McGregor, Amanda Nunes, and other such superstars of the sport. He has followed the sport for over a decade and is an ardent fan of Georges St-Pierre, who he believes is the greatest of all time.

Dana White Says UFC Will Move to Fight Island as USA Increases Vaccine Restrictions

Return to the Fight Island

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