It’s an interesting moment in UFC history.

The day Conor McGregor’s announced his retirement, the Irish fighter whose antics made headlines beyond the UFC and into mainstream media, has been eclipsed by a big reveal for UFC’s long-awaited fight island. Expected shortly, many internet pundits are betting on the UAE capital as a likely location, after a report surfaced via Combate, a Brazilian publisher.

UFC President Dana White is expected to announce the location this week. If Abu Dhabi is picked, it would mean big things for the capital where the sport is hugely popular. The decision means fights could take place as early as July, as COVID-19 travel restrictions limit fights between international fighters to the United States.

Told that Abu Dhabi is a likely destination for @ufc’s ‘Fight Island’. Backs up reports out of Brazil. July should be a busy month! Wow.

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— Chris McHardy (@ChrisMcHardy19) June 6, 2020

Dana White revealed fights on “fight island” could happen as early as July 11

Abu Dhabi has a five year deal with UFC and following the inaugural fights in September, the capital is a hotly-tipped location.

And there are a number of spots within the capital capable of hosting such an event.

The Etihad Arena is launching – could this be the location for “Fight island”? This is the region’s largest indoor multi-purpose arena, its completion is set to mark Abu Dhabi as a leading location for entertainment, with an event space suitable for large-scale international concerts, sports games, corporate events, and more.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8s8quipI9d/

Alternatively, if hosted in Abu Dhabi, the capital could build a purpose-built arena similar to what we saw for UFC 242 in September for Khabib V Poirier

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