Sights and sounds from UFC 251 taking place at Fight Island

(Twitter.com/UFC)

Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, sports leagues have grappled with finding creative ideas in order to resume their seasons. Always one to think outside the box, UFC president Dana White problem solved with an ambitious idea: Fight Island.

In April, White said that he was pursuing a “private island” in an international venue so the UFC could host events without fighters being impacted by U.S. travel restrictions.

After months of planning, Fight Island became a reality in June. Located on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island in the United Arab Emirates, four UFC events will be held at Fight Island in July, starting with UFC 251.

This is not the first time Yas Island has hosted an UFC event, though. The island previously hosted UFC 112, UFC 242 and UFC Fight Night: Nogueira vs. Nelson; however, Fight Island is located on a slightly different section of the island compared to past events.

The UFC has not held an event outside the United States since March 14, when a Fight Night event was held in Brazil in an empty arena. Like UFC Brasilia, there were no fans in attendance on Fight Island, resulting in a quieter atmosphere for Saturday night’s events.

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