UFC: Dana White says ‘Fight Island’ Octagon on beach; quarantining a ‘problem we have to deal with’
- UFC president says island will be up and running in June with hotels and training facilities for fighters to use
- White says quarantining issues are ‘part of the new world we have to live in’
Despite finding a venue to host the next three UFC events, Dana White is pushing ahead with “Fight Island”.
The UFC president confirmed in an Instagram Live chat with ESPN’s Brett Okamoto there will be an Octagon on the beach, with the island – which will host training facilities and hotels for fighters – set to be ready by June.
“Fight Island should be up and running in June,” White said. “So I should be able to start running international events in June. From May 9 to May 23, we'll knock out four shows. And then in June we can start international stuff on the island.
“We really are putting an Octagon on the beach. There's going to be training facilities there for people. There are hotels. And the whole island is going to be built, all the infrastructure is going to be built for the UFC to come do fights there.”
UFC 249 has been confirmed for the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida on May 9, and the venue – which will be closed to the public amid the global Covid-19 pandemic – will also host cards on May 13 and 16. Another UFC event is slated for May 23, but the location has not been confirmed.