Abu Dhabi to host 'Fight Island' MMA event
The United Arab Emirates will hold the isolated UFC event on Yas Island with health precautions in place, as the combat sport continues to grow in the Middle East.
The United Arab Emirates will host more major mixed martial arts, or MMA, events starting this weekend.
Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism deemed Yas Island a “safe zone” for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the state-run Emirates News Agency reported today.
MMA is a combat sport where men and women fight in a cage for a series of timed rounds or until someone is knocked out or surrenders. The sport draws on various types of martial arts, including wrestling and striking-based forms. MMA has grown in the Middle East in recent years. One draw for Middle Eastern fans is Khabib Nurmagomedov, a devout and outspoken Muslim from the autonomous Dagestan area of Russia. Last September, the still undefeated Nurmagomedov beat American Justin Poirier in a highly watched bout in Abu Dhabi.
The “Fight Island” series will continue the Emirates’ connection to the sport. UFC leaders expressed a willingness to continue having fights at relatively isolated locations with health precautions in place due to the coronavirus pandemic. On Monday, authorities completed preparation for the series, Emirates News Agency said.
