Inside the 18,000 capacity Etihad Arena, a state-of-the-art venue built on a $3 billion site in Abu Dhabi
- Fans return to a UFC event Saturday for the first time in 10 months.
- UFC events were paused for six weeks early into the coronavirus pandemic but restarted in May behind-closed-doors.
- The UFC then held domestic shows at its UFC Apex studio and international events in Abu Dhabi using Fight Island branding.
- The third series of Fight Island events begin Saturday, January 23 and take place at the newly-built, state-of-the-art Etihad Arena.
- Take a look inside.
FIGHT ISLAND - The world-leading mixed martial arts firm UFC returned to Abu Dhabi for its third Fight Island-branded festival beginning January 16, and for the first time, fight fans will enjoy the show.
Previous shows were held behind-closed-doors at the purpose-built Flash Forum.
But the UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Kattar event Saturday, the Wednesday show headlined by Michael Chiesa and Neil Magny, and UFC 257, which features Conor McGregor against Dustin Poirier, all take place at the state-of-the-art Etihad Arena on Yas Island.
The arena is part of a $3.26 billion developments-under-construction project on Yas Bay. Insider is back on Fight Island and went on a tour of the venue Friday, the day before Holloway and Kattar do battle in a featherweight contest scheduled for five, five-minute rounds.
Take a look inside the arena:
And outside:
Etihad Arena, a multi-purpose entertainment venue, is the epicenter of Yas Bay's waterfront and neighbors the Yas Marina Circuit, Ferrari World, Yas Waterworld, and the Yas Links Golf Course.
Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, CEO of Miral, the Abu Dhabi real estate developer behind the venue, described the project to Insider while standing in front of the exclusive VIP boxes.
"We're excited to have this arena ready to host one of the most prestigious events in the world, the UFC, for its first event," Al Zaabi said.
It's is just one part of Miral's vision to have Yas Island as "a top destination for family fun and entertainment," with a portfolio that includes the aforementioned Ferrari World and the upcoming Sea World, explained Al Zaabi.
He added that the venue could be flexible in what it hosts, extending the floor space, and putting in an ice rink, basketball court, or creating a stage for gigs.
"We intentionally designed this arena so it can be customized and change the set-up for a tennis game, swimming, concerts."
The UFC's three-event residency at the Etihad Arena will be the first time fans have attended a UFC show since 15,000 people saw UFC 248 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on March 8, 2020.
The venue will be at 10% capacity, with between 1,800 fans expected at each event.
"Our customer safety [is a top priority]. We decided not to have more than 10% capacity, which guarantees at least two meters between guests," Al Zaabi said, adding it was the first Abu Dhabi event to have spectators since February last year.
Here's the author at the venue:
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