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If UFC President Dana White gets his way, the promotion will run in full swing for Conor McGregor’s return – although you might take it for granted.
McGregor signed a fight deal on Thursday making his awaited rematch with Dustin Poirer official for UFC 257 on January 23. Although the event does not have an officially designated location, White would like it to take place on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi with all the works going.
“I’m looking to make it International Fight Week,” White told Barstool Sports. “The new Etihad Arena will be open and this thing was designed with us in mind. Concerts, pool parties, all kinds of cool stuff. And, yes, I hope to bring the fans back. … That’s what I live for.
Since returning in May after a brief hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the UFC has held events without fans. It started with UFC 249 and a three-event eight-day streak at VyStar Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. Since then, the UFC has hosted almost weekly events at UFC Apex in Las Vegas, as well as the Flash Forum on “Fight Island,” which has hosted two separate five-week stays.
Ideally, White has said he would like a “Fight Island” version of International Fight Week to include multiple shows.
“What I would love to do is, we’ll get there and we’ll do it Saturday, Wednesday and Saturday,” White said. “… We go over there and kill him.”
As of now, the UFC has a fight night with Max Holloway vs. Calvin Kattar scheduled for Saturday, January 16 to go with UFC 257 the following Saturday.
White’s desire comes at a time when COVID-19 is still a global problem, with numbers hitting new highs in the United States in recent weeks. The United States accounts for nearly 12 million total cases and 252,000 deaths. Significant progress has been made on a vaccine, but logistical challenges remain for wide distribution.
From the onset of the pandemic, White was eager to move events forward. His desire to go big for McGregor’s return should come as no surprise. He believes the UFC is capable of doing it safely.
“It would be nice to have fans. And the point is that from “Fight Island” we can attract fans from all over the world. It’s an easy destination to get to, a fun destination to go to, and we can just (swear) jump the doors on this thing, ”White said.
He continued, “I’m ready for some fights with the fans. I am ready to go to a live concert. I am ready to throw parties. I’m gonna go to all this shit. I want to mingle with the fans again. I want the fans to come back. We’ve figured it out so far. We will find out how to do this safely and succeed in this operation in Abu Dhabi. “
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