UFC Fight Island potentially unnecessary following U.S. travel exemption for foreign athletes
Ant Walker, Michael Fiedel, and Patrick Auger discuss the recently announced U.S. travel exemption for foreign athletes and how this may impact the UFC’s plans to host events on “Fight Island.”
Unable to transport athletes to the U.S., Dana White previously elected to secure a private island – prosaically coined Fight Island – to hold fights between international fighters unable to journey to the U.S.
Though no location for Fight Island has been disclosed, White has touted the idea as a way to salvage fights for foreign fighters and produce unfettered content amid the pandemic.
But the United States’ recent amendment to travel restrictions, allowing foreign athletes to be exempted from the restrictions, may render Fight Island unnecessary and the return of foreign fighters to the UFC’s American events inevitable.
Head over to thebodylockmma.com to read Michael Fiedel’s report: U.S. government issues travel exemption for foreign athletes, Fight Island potentially unnecessary
This is one part of a three-part conversation that is available exclusively on The Body Lock’s YouTube channel.
Michael Fiedel is The Body Lock's deputy editor, a staff writer for FloCombat, and a Russell-Rice scholarship recipient at Vanderbilt University.
Patrick is a consultant turned journalist who loves the fight game and everything to do with it. Focusing on the politics, business, and general state of MMA are his mainstays, though he'll dabble in analysis and best bets when he can. He also enjoys football, basketball, baseball, and great jokes in general so feel free to reach out and berate him on social media whenever you disagree with him.