Dana White, the President of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), also known as Mixed Martial Arts, has revealed his plans to secure a private island to resume UFC fights later this month, despite the global impact of the Coronavirus pandemic.
White announced that UFC 249 is scheduled to return on April 18, and he is on the verge of acquiring a private island to host fights every week. This move aims to accommodate international fighters who are currently unable to enter the US due to travel restrictions imposed as a result of the pandemic.
White mentioned to TMZ, “I’m a day or two away from securing a private island. I have a private island that I’ve secured. We’re getting the infrastructure put in now, so I’m gonna start doing the international fights too with international fighters. I won’t be able to get international fighters, all of them, into the US, so I have a private island. I’m gonna start flying them all into the private island and start doing international fights from there. So as of April 18, the UFC is back up and running.”
Despite the risks involved in holding such events during this period, White insists that everybody involved will be safe.
“We have all of our own planes and everything,” White said. “Everybody’s gonna be pre-tested and tested. We’re gonna make sure that 100 percent healthy athletes, healthy athletic-commission people, healthy judges, referees, my production people. Everybody, there is gonna be healthy. We’re gonna make sure everybody’s gonna be safe before, during and after the fights.”