UFC Fight Island shows Abu Dhabi is open for business

UFC Fight Island shows Abu Dhabi is open for business

DUBAI: When UFC returns to the UAE capital's Yas Island on July 11, the message will be clear: Abu Dhabi is open for business.

The two-week "Fight Island“ will launch with the pay-per-view UFC 251, with three other fight nights taking place on July 15, 18 and 25. All will take place at Flash Forum.

For Ali Al Shaiba, Executive Director, Tourism and Marketing at Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT) Abu Dhabi, it represents so much more.

"This is not just for Abu Dhabi or the UAE, but for the whole region,“ he said. "We want to show that we were able to handle the challenges [of the coronavirus crisis] and able to organize an event of this magnitude.“

With fighters flying in from all over the world, Fight Island is set to be the biggest post-Covid-19 international sporting event yet.

To welcome the fighters, their trainers and delegates to Abu Dhabi, a 10km state of the art "Safey Zone“ has been built by DCT on Yas Island, where nothing has been left to chance to ensure the safety of everyone involved.

“We were in discussion with UFC for three months. For us the big challenge at the start was how we can hold this