UFC president Dana White believes Abu Dhabi is taking the title of “fight capital” from Las Vegas.
White hasn’t been shy in expressing his gratitude to Abu Dhabi for playing host to the UFC’s “Fight Island” trip. The UFC has held three cards on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi in 2020 and a fourth event is coming up on July 25. This isn’t likely to be the end of the UFC’s “Fight Island” adventure either. White has said that a UFC middleweight title fight between champion Israel Adesanya and Paulo Costa is likely to take place on Yas Island.
Dana White Feels Abu Dhabi Is Taking Over Las Vegas For ‘Fight Capital’ Honors
Speaking to The National, White said that in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Abu Dhabi is emerging as the new “fight capital” of the world.
“The shows that we bring here, this is the only international destination for fights,” White told The National. “So all the biggest and the baddest fights coming up that we have are going to be here.
“If you look at our roster of champions, they’re from all over the world. So the biggest, baddest fights over the next God knows how long are going to be here in Abu Dhabi. That’s why I’m saying Abu Dhabi is going to be looked at as the new fight capital of the world. It used to be Las Vegas. It definitely isn’t Las Vegas right now.”
White was hoping to use the UFC APEX facility going forward but with COVID-19 cases surging in Nevada, White knows there’s a chance the UFC will have to turn elsewhere in the event of another shutdown. While White says he’s got options in the United States, he admits Abu Dhabi is hard to beat.
The plan is for UFC 252 to take place in Las Vegas, but that plan could change. The event is scheduled to be held on Aug. 15 and will feature the heavyweight title trilogy bout between champion Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier. If the UFC has to reverse course, Dana White feels confident that arrangements can be made.
