The UFC returned to Abu Dhabi this past weekend with UFC 294. Islam Makhachev took on Alexander Volkanovski in front of a sold-out crowd at the Etihad Arena. However, it was not all smooth sailing for the UFC as they had to put together a completely new main event and co-main event just 12 days before the event. Despite the changes, Dana White, on the Anatomy of a Fighter YouTube channel, revealed the mind-boggling sum UFC changed for VIP tickets at UFC 294.
The UFC held its first event in Abu Dhabi in 2010. Since then, the partnership between the promotion and the Emirate has only grown stronger. Abu Dhabi is now a permanent fixture on the UFC calendar and the promotion puts on an event at the Etihad Arena at least once a year. The relationship with Abu Dhabi also helped the UFC put on fights at the height of the pandemic with Fight Island.
Dana White reveals the cost of a VIP ticket for UFC 294
A card featuring the likes of Usman, Makhachev, Volkanovski, and Chimaev is set to draw in crowds. Watching some of the best fighters in the UFC on the same night comes at a price. In a video posted on Anatomy of a Fighter, Dana White shared the price of a single VIP ticket. He said:
“You, Volkanovski, you know, Khamzat, Usman, and here we are. Forty-five f**king thousand dollars a ticket for the VIP. That is why. That is exactly why. People love that shit. I love that sh*t.”
Needless to say, the event was packed with stars. Kevin De Bruyne, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Steven Seagal are a few of the names that were at the event. UFC 294 was also attended by a few extremely important people from the government as well as the Royal family. White’s relationship of over a decade with Abu Dhabi has saved his company in the past. Let’s take a look at how that happened.
The UFC and Fight Island
During the height of the pandemic, all sports, including the UFC, were forced to shut down operations. Dana White and the UFC was the first sport to return to live action by putting on fights in Florida. However, since there was a restriction on travel, they could not get in international fighters.
Fight Island loading 👀 pic.twitter.com/Ns97Nbukf8
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 27, 2020
In order to combat that problem, White, along with the help of the Abu Dhabi government, set up Fight Island. It featured state-of-the-art testing protocols to ensure fighters’ safety and allowed international UFC fighters to compete. If it was not for Fight Island, the UFC would not have boomed like it did during the pandemic.
