[ad_1]
For the first time since March 2020, the UFC will be hosting events with non-essential staff – in this case, fans – in attendance.
The next trip of the promotion’s three events to ‘Fight Island’ in Abu Dhabi will take place not at the Flash Forum on Yas Island, like its two 2020 visits to the country, but at Etihad Arena. In addition, a “limited number of spectators” will be able to attend the fights on site.
The Abu Dhabi Culture and Tourism Ministry on Thursday formalized the next three UFC events at Etihad Arena, starting with UFC on ABC 1 next Saturday. There was no mention of the total number of fans that will be allowed inside the site. This event will be followed by UFC on ESPN 20 on Wednesday January 20 and UFC 257 on January 23.
In November, UFC President Dana White said he would not be interested in hosting events in partially packed arenas or stadiums.
“I’m going to stay here at the Apex instead of going somewhere where we can’t have a full crowd,” White said after UFC 255. “What I’m not going to do is I won’t take a 10,000- place the arena and sell 5,000 tickets I’d rather stay (in Las Vegas). “
But White also said last year that when the UFC returns to Abu Dhabi, the promotion’s partnership with officials in the region would likely cause it to give in to the wishes of event planners for circumstances such as limited numbers. of fans instead of a packed house, and it seems to be.
Following the second round of UFC Flash Forum events last fall, the plan was for Etihad Arena to host future UFC fight cards in Abu Dhabi, which were posted on the arena’s official website. . Twitter count in October.
As @YasIsland says goodbye to the spectacular ‘Return to Fight Island’, we prepare to welcome the future of @ufc in our ultramodern room. We look forward to seeing you soon, @DanaWhite and a loud cry to @DCTAbuDhabi and #YasIsland for putting on a spectacular show. pic.twitter.com/ZpFnw9iRt1
– Etihad Arena (@etihadarena_ae) October 27, 2020
After moving past the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and event cancellations, White and the UFC finally held a series of fanless events in Jacksonville, Florida, then made UFC Apex in Las Vegas his semi-permanent home. , also without fans. In addition, the UFC twice made multi-event visits to “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi twice in 2020 for fanless fight cards.
UFC on ABC 1 will be featured by a featherweight fight between former champion Max Holloway and Calvin Kattar. Four days later, Michael Chiesa meets Neil Magny at the UFC on the ESPN 20 main event.
But the grand finale of the three-event race in Abu Dhabi in just seven days is UFC 257, which will feature a rematch between former lightweight and featherweight champion Conor McGregor and former lightweight champion by interim Dustin Poirier.
McGregor is by far the biggest draw in the UFC. He’s been on one of his 12 career UFC fights except three, including his last seven on television. In January 2020, he fought Donald Cerrone and generated a million pay-per-view buys, which was his lowest number since UFC 189 made 825,000 buys for his provisional weight title win. feathers on Chad Mendes. His UFC 229 submission loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov generated a UFC record reported 2.4 million buys.
Where the UFC will likely have to suffer significant losses are the live gate totals that McGregor’s fights typically generated, mostly in Las Vegas. His UFC 246 fight against Cerrone has a live gate of over $ 11 million at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. UFC 229 at T-Mobile Arena and UFC 205 at Madison Square Garden in New York City each generated over $ 17 million in live totals – an MMA record, as well as Garden’s Gate record. .
[ad_2]
Source link