Abu Dhabi is just amazing, says UFC president

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The Fight Island bouts start from 2 am on Sunday. (Supplied photo)

Abu Dhabi - White revealed that Abu Dhabi could stage more UFC events after the Fight Island

By Ashwani Kumar

Published: Sat 11 Jul 2020, 5:23 PM

Last updated: Sun 12 Jul 2020, 10:07 AM

Dana White is in high spirits. The UFC president has been overwhelmed by Abu Dhabi's grand success in making Fight Island a reality at a time when Las Vegas, the sport's home turf, is grappling with the menace of Covid-19.
White also revealed that Abu Dhabi could stage more UFC events after the Fight Island.

Welcome to fight day - LIVE from #UFCFightIsland #InAbuDhabi @VisitAbuDhabi #UFC251 pic.twitter.com/CMwQjfnK75
- UFC (@ufc) July 11, 2020

The 50-year-old American has also been bowled over by the outstanding work of the Department of Tourism and Culture - Abu Dhabi, and the UAE hospitality.
"Abu Dhabi has been our partners for over 10 years. They add a lot of value. They are really smart. Look at the way they do things. Who does things like this? When you talk about hospitality, nobody's better than Abu Dhabi. This place is amazing," said White.
"These guys are incredible. We are going to be doing things with these guys for the rest of my career. I am looking at houses here. I am buying a house or a condo or something," White added.
White admitted that the situation in the US was getting worse with a spike in Covid-19 cases.
"They just shut down Las Vegas again. We are like back to Phase-1. I just don't see us flying people in from all over the world to the US any time soon," he said.
"We are going to be here (Abu Dhabi) easily into the next year. We are going to be here for a while. So, I'm buying a house. I think I am going to be spending a lot of time here."
The Fight Island bouts start from 2 am on Sunday with four early preliminary cards and main cards of five fights.
The biggest attraction on Sunday is the bout between welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and BMF titleholder Jorge Masvidal which begins by 6 am.
In the UAE and region, the events will be broadcast on UFC Arabia.