ABU DHABI – As the UFC readies to kick off a run of four events on “Fight Island,” the government that partnered with the promotion to make it happen admits it wasn’t an easy – or cheap – proposition.
Saeed Al-Saeed, the destination marketing director of the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism, said it took more than 20 different organizations, including several government agencies, Etihad Airways and the Abu Dhabi Airports Company, to pull off the feat.
“It’s a massive effort,” Al-Saeed told MMA Junkie. “It’s a testament to the closeness and collaboration of all these entities. We work as a unit. We work as one, and it hasn’t been easy. I can’t tell you that it was a breeze.”
“Fight Island,” the UFC’s current home for the next three weeks, features four different UFC events taking place at Flash Forum, which is located on Yas Island. The run kicks off with Saturday’s UFC 251, which airs live on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.
Six square miles of Yas Island was partitioned off into a “safe zone,” where approximately 2,000 people are currently housed. That figure includes all UFC athletes and staff, as well as all local personnel constructing and maintaining the site and running the hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions in the area.
Everyone in the “safe zone” has tested negative for COVID-19 multiple times, with the Abu Dhabi locals having also endured a 14-day quarantine. Al-Saeed said 10,000 tests have already been administered, and more are on the way.
“It’s a massive undertaking that wouldn’t have been possible were it not for all these entities coming together as one,” Al-Saeed said.
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As you can imagine, such an elaborate operation involves significant financial commitment in addition to logistical hurdles. Al-Saeed wasn’t willing to put an exact number on the investment but said the Abu Dhabi government felt it was a worthwhile endeavor as it looks to continue to promote the emirate “as a destination of choice around the world.”
“Huge,” Al-Saeed said of the financial cost. “It was huge. That’s all I can say. Our commitment to the UFC has started since UFC 242 last year. It’s a five-year commitment, which is already – if you want to talk about financials, it’s something that proves we believe in the product that is UFC. We believe in the brand that is UFC.”
UFC president Dana White was slow to announce the destination of “Fight Island” after initially revealing in April the company’s plans to hold international events during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. But Al-Saeed said there was never a question where the octagon would land.
“When Dana dreamt of this ‘Fight Island,’ he knew in the back of his mind that no one else can deliver other than Abu Dhabi,” Al-Saeed said.
So why was the government willing to invest so much into the undertaking, which features some of the strictest operational precautions in the world?
“We look at value, not financial bottom lines,” Al-Saeed said. “Is the UFC valuable enough for us to put all of this together? And the answer is yes. Everyone’s talking about ‘Fight Island,’ whether it’s UFC, non-UFC, fans, non-fans. Everyone is just looking at this achievement with their jaw dropped, and I think we have set the bar for international sporting events around the world.
“For us, the UFC is a partnership. It’s not a transaction.”
What the future holds for “Fight Island” beyond this initial stretch remains to be seen. The structures and systems are already in place if the process needs to be repeated. With the pandemic not appearing to be slowing in its spread, Al-Saeed said the idea of the UFC returning relatively quickly is certainly a possibility – even if he admits he’d prefer not to have to go back in quarantine if at all possible.
“I would like it not to be, personally, because I want to go home and see my family,” Al-Saeed said with a laugh. “Jokes aside, we are open to the possibility. Again, we planted the flag in the soil. We’ve proven what we can do, and once again, it’s an open invitation. If Dana or other sporting organizers would like to bring their sports into Abu Dhabi, it’s a possibility. We can do it.”
It’s important to note the “Fight Island” run is not part of the UFC’s five-year agreement with Abu Dhabi, so the promotion is likely to return at least once in 2020 to deliver a pay-per-view event. Al-Saeed said that if circumstances dictate that’s an event without a live audience, so be it.
“We would love to be able to get fans in, but in the current circumstance, that’s impossible,” Al-Saeed said. “You cannot guarantee this kind of safe zone by allowing a mass amount of individuals coming through and churning people in and out, so we would like to be in a better circumstance to get people in, but if that’s not possible, this is what we are doing. So the answer is, it’s up to the UFC.”
Current speculation is that September is the target for UFC 253 in Abu Dhabi, and Al-Saeed admitted conversations were ongoing but that nothing was confirmed. One would guess the government would hope that event would feature UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, whose popularity in the largely Muslim nation is immense.
Al-Saeed tried to play coy when asked if that was the hope but admitted it was an intriguing option.
“They are all my children,” Al-Saeed said. “I don’t pick and choose. All these fighters are my children that you’re going to see in the next few weeks, but yeah definitely – who would’t want to see that?”
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