For the first time since March 2020, the UFC will be organizing events with non-essential event staff (in this case, amateurs).
The next stage of three promotion events at “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi will not take place at Flash Forum on Yas Island, like its two country visits in 2020, but at Etihad Arena. In addition, a “limited number of spectators” will be able to watch the fights on site.
Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism on Thursday made official the next three UFC events at Etihad Arena, starting with UFC on ABC 1 next Saturday. It was not mentioned how many fans in total will be allowed inside the venue. This event will be followed by UFC on ESPN 20 on Wednesday 20 January and UFC 257 on 23 January.
In November, UFC President Dana White said she would not be interested in hosting events in stadiums or partially filled stadiums.
“I’m going to stay here at the Apex instead of going to a place where we can’t have a lot of people,” White said after UFC 255. “What I’m not going to do is I won’t take a 10,000- Seat Arena and they 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 partnership the promotion maintains with officials there will likely have a chance to yield to the wishes of event organizers for circumstances such as a limited number of fans in place of a plenary. seems to be the case.
Following the second series of events at the UFC Flash Forum last fall, the plan was for Etihad Arena to host future UFC wrestling cards in Abu Dhabi, which were issued to the arena officer. Twitter account in October.
How @YasIsland says goodbye to the spectacular ‘Return to Fight Island’, we prepare to welcome the future of @ufc in our state-of-the-art enclosure. We can’t wait to see you soon, @DanaWhite and a great shout a @DCTAbuDhabi i #YasIsland to make a spectacular show. pic.twitter.com/ZpFnw9iRt1
– Etihad Arena (@etihadarena_ae) October 27, 2020
After overcoming the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and the cancellation of events, White and the UFC ended up organizing a series of fanless events in Jacksonville, Florida, and have turned the UFC Apex into Las Vegas in his semi-permanent home. , also without fans. In addition, the UFC twice in 2020 made multi-event visits to “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi to get fan-free wrestling cards.
UFC on ABC 1 will be led by a featherweight fight between former champion Max Holloway and Calvin Kattar. Four days later, Michael Chiesa meets Neil Magny at the UFC at ESPN 20’s main event.
But the grand finale of the three-event race in Abu Dhabi for just seven days is UFC 257, which will feature a rematch between lightweight and featherweight champion Conor McGregor and interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier.
McGregor is by far the UFC’s biggest draw. He has led all but 12 of his UFC career fights, including his last seven in pay-per-view. In January 2020, he fought Donald Cerrone and generated one million pay-per-view purchases, which was his lowest number since UFC 189 made 825,000 purchases to secure his provisional featherweight title victory over Chad Mendes. His loss sent by UFC 229 to Khabib Nurmagomedov generated a record 2.4 million registered UFC purchases.
When the UFC will have to suffer significant losses is likely in the live gates totals that McGregor fights have typically generated, mostly in Las Vegas. His fight against UFC 246 against Cerrone has had a live over $ 11 million door at the 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 more than $ 17 million in total live gates – an MMA record, as well as the garden gates record.