However, the number of people attending the event has not been made official by the UFC and it remains to be seen what is the maximum number of people who will be allowed inside the Etihad Arena. Starting with UFC on ABC: Holloway vs. Kattar, a limited number of fans were allowed inside the newly built Etihad Arena, marking the first time since UFC 248 on March 7, 2020 that non-essential event personnel were in attendance. The poster for UFC 257: Poirier vs. McGregor 2. Abu Dhabi did not announce how many fans will be allowed in the arena. UFC 257 concluded a run of three shows in eight days with a few thousand fans allowed inside the promotions coronavirus bubble in the Middle East. [23][24], Former Invicta FC Atomweight Champion Michelle Waterson was expected to face Amanda Ribas in a women's strawweight bout at this event. [11] Despite his announcement, the title was never officially vacated as UFC President Dana White said several times that he believed Nurmagomedov would still fight again. UFC Fights This Weekend : UFC 259 Fight Card, Early Prelims, Preliminary, and Main Card, I have an angel protecting me: UFC Middleweight Julian Marquez Survives a Fatal Car Crash, UFC Bantamweight champion Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling engage in a Twitter tussle ahead of their fight at UFC 259, Lightweight Fight (Co-main event): Michael Chandler vs. Dan Hooker, Flyweight Fight: Joanne Calderwood vs. Jessica Eye, Women Strawweight Fight: Amanda Ribas vs. Marina Rodriguez, Lightweight Fight: Ottman Azaitar vs. Matt Frevola, Middleweight Fight: Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Brad Tavares, Lightweight Fight: Nasrat Haqparast vs. Arman Tsarukyan, Light-Heavyweight Fight: Marcin Prachnio vs. Khalil Rountree, Bantamweight Fight: Sergey Morozov vs. Umar Nurmagomedov, Featherweight Fight: Shane Burgos vs. Hakeem Dawodu, Women Bantamweight Fight: Sara McMann vs. Julianna Pena, Middleweight Fight: Makhmud Muradov vs. Andrew Sanchez. Starting January 16 and ending with UFC 257, a limited number of fans will be in attendance at the Ethiad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Fight Island. And as the sports most recognized personality, Conor McGregor is set to mark his return with the show, the occasion to let spectators enter could not be any better. UFC 259 Payouts, Purse and Salary : How Much Money Will Each MMA Fighter Receive? The promotion hadn't held shows with fans [28] However, Ulanbekov withdrew in late December due to undisclosed reasons. Illegal knee UFC 259: Why was Petr Yans knee illegal during Bantamweight Championship match against Ajimain Sterling? The promotion hadnt held shows with fans since before the pandemic began last March. UFC 257: Limited number of fans allowed to attend Fight Island events, including Poirier vs. McGregor Conor McGregors return to the Octagon in his rematch with Dustin Poirier will have a limited number of fans in attendance on Fight Island. In the previous outings at Fight Island, all the fight proceedings happened at a restricted bio-bubble. Fans have not been allowed in an arena since UFC 248 on March 7, 2020. UFC 257 concluded a run of three shows in eight days with a few thousand fans allowed inside the promotions coronavirus bubble in the Middle East. FANS fumed at Dana White as pay-per-view lives streams for UFC 257 failed for many. Team Tate, "UFC 257 - Conor McGregor KO at the hands of Dustin Poirier leaves lightweight division in limbo", "UFC 257: Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier does blockbuster PPV numbers, per reports", "Dustin Poirier vs Conor McGregor to headline UFC 257", "Dana White announces UFC 257, first three events of 2021 to take place on Fight Island", "Fans are back: UFC will have 'limited' attendance at three-card 'Fight Island' stint at Etihad Arena", "Etihad Arena lists official COVID-19 safety measures for fans at January UFC Fight Island shows", "Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier 2 in works for UFC 257", "Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier 2 booked for UFC 257", "UFC 178 results, photos: Conor McGregor stops Dustin Poirier in first round", "Khabib Nurmagomedov dominates Justin Gaethje, retires after UFC 254 submission win", "Dana White has 'a feeling' Khabib Nurmagomedov won't stay retired after talking to him", "Dana White leaves door open for Khabib Nurmagomedov to return: 'He's still the champ, "Dana White insists Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier won't be for title: 'Khabib's going to fight, "Dana White anticipates Khabib Nurmagomedov meeting will be five minutes: 'It's yes or no, "Video: Dana White and Khabib Nurmagomedov finally meet face to face in Abu Dhabi", "What's happening with Khabib Nurmagomedov? The UFC's upcoming Fight Island festival will be open to fans. It hasn't been confirmed how many fans will be in attendance at the events. So, in the wake of that how many lucky enthusiasts will experience the event live? However, it will be on a Also Read: Santiago Ponzinibbio makes known his intentions ahead of UFC Fight Island 7. Fans will once again be allowed to attend the upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. UFC 257 concluded a run of three shows in eight days with a few thousand fans allowed inside the promotions coronavirus bubble in the Middle East. Therefore, this time as well it is expected that the authorities will form a conducive fight environment with due diligence on health pre-requisites. [33][34], A featherweight bout between Shane Burgos and Hakeem Dawodu was scheduled for the event. However, when it comes to entry of the general public, there are still restrictions and doors are not yet completely open for the spectators. [6], For the event to be broadcast live during Prime time hours on the east coast of North America, the main card began at 7:00 am (January 24) local time in Abu Dhabi, with a full preliminary card beginning at approximately 4:00 am Gulf Standard Time. In the United States tournaments such as NFL and MLB are already practicing this major modification. UFC 257 concluded a run of three shows in eight days with a few thousand fans allowed inside the promotion's coronavirus bubble in the Middle East. And in line with the same, recently the major MMA attraction around the world, UFC has confirmed that the forthcoming Pay-Per-ViewUFC 257 will mark the entry of fans for the first time since March 2020. The promotion hadn't held shows with fans [40] Haqparast withdrew from the bout due to an undisclosed illness and Tsarukyan weighed in at 157 pounds, one pound over the lightweight non-title fight limit. UFC 257: How Many Fans Will Be Allowed To Watch Conor McGregor Vs. Dustin Poirier Live? The Notorious faces the American at UFC 257 in the early hours of January 24, with the bout taking place at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. [29] The pairing was eventually rescheduled for UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs. Chimaev on March 13. [8][9] They met previously in a featherweight bout at UFC 178 in September 27, 2014, where McGregor won by first round TKO. Starting with UFC on ABC: Holloway vs. Kattar, a limited number of fans were allowed inside the newly built Etihad Arena, marking the first time since UFC 248 on March 7, 2020 that non-essential event personnel were in attendance. The UFC 257 pay-per-view event on Jan. 23 is headlined by [22], A flyweight bout between Amir Albazi and Zhalgas Zhumagulov was expected to take place at UFC on ESPN: Smith vs. Clark, but Zhumagulov pulled out due to visa issues and the bout was rescheduled for this event. [21] Finally, the bout was set to take place 3 days prior at UFC on ESPN: Chiesa vs. UFC 257 concluded a run of three shows in eight days with a few thousand fans allowed inside the promotions coronavirus bubble in the Middle East. UFC 257 concluded a run of three shows in eight days with a few thousand fans allowed inside the promotion's coronavirus bubble in the Middle East. [41][42] As a result, the promotion arranged a catchweight bout between Frevola and Tsarukyan to keep both athletes on the card. [25] However, Waterson pulled out of the bout in early December due to undisclosed reasons. UFC 257 will be one of the more anticipated recent cards in MMA, headlined by the return of Conor McGregor to the octagon. Plenty of MMA supporters excited to see Conor McGregor against Dustin Poirier were hit with problematic coverage from both EPSN and BT - although most had no issues at all. [12][13][14] A meeting between both of them to discuss the champion's future was then expected to happen this week during the organization's stint at Fight Island, eventually taking place on January 15. UFC 257 concluded a run of three shows in eight days with a few thousand fans allowed inside the promotion's coronavirus bubble in the Middle East. A limited number of fans will be allowed to watch UFC's mixed martial arts series to be held at the newly-built state-of-the-art Etihad Arena on Abu Dhabi's Yas Island this month. The number of fans was then bumped up According to Aaron Bronsteter of TSN sports, a total of 2000 seats were offered and got sold instantly. [30], A middleweight bout between The Ultimate Fighter: Team Joanna vs. [10], After defending his lightweight title at UFC 254 in October, Khabib Nurmagomedov immediately announced his retirement, citing his father's death from complications related to COVID-19 in last July as the main reason behind it. Background. The promotion hadn't held shows with fans since before the pandemic began last March. UFC 257 concluded a run of three shows in eight days with a few thousand fans allowed inside the promotions coronavirus bubble in the Middle East. UFC will follow suit at Fight Island. UFC 257 concluded a run of three shows in eight days with a few thousand fans allowed inside the promotion's coronavirus bubble in the Middle Though UFC 257 will take place in Abu Dhabi, where the situation is less adverse as compared to the US. ", "Sara McMann vs. Julianna Pena added to UFC Fight Night on Jan. 16", "UFC 257 gets Julianna Pena vs. Sara McMann after fight pushed back one week", "Shane Burgos vs. Hakeem Dawodu booked for UFC 257", "Injury forces Hakeem Dawodu out of UFC 257 clash with Shane Burgos", "Ottman Azaitar vs. Matt Frevola joins UFC 257 lineup", "Ottman Azaitar cut from UFC after violating COVID-19 safety protocol", "Nasrat Haqparast vs. Arman Tsarukyan added to UFC 257", "Nasrat Haqparast out of UFC 257 fight with Arman Tsarukyan, who missed weight", "UFC 257 weigh-in results: Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier make weight for rematch, two other fights canceled", "UFC 257 weigh-in results: Lineup altered after multiple issues with lightweights", "Arman Tsarukyan vs. Matt Frevola arranged for UFC 257 following loss of scheduled opponents", "Matt Frevola will now meet Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 257", "UFC 257 post-fight bonuses: Poirier stops McGregor in second round", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=UFC_257&oldid=1012043761, Mixed martial arts in the United Arab Emirates, Articles with Dutch-language sources (nl), Articles with Spanish-language sources (es), Articles with Portuguese-language sources (pt), Articles with Czech-language sources (cs), Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Decision (unanimous) (3027, 3027, 2928), Decision (unanimous) (3027, 3027, 3026), Decision (unanimous) (2928, 2928, 2928), This page was last edited on 14 March 2021, at 08:29. [15][16] The following day, White made an appearance live on ABC during the main card of UFC on ABC: Holloway vs. Kattar and revealed the outcome of the meeting: the Russian left the door open to a potential return, depending on how the main and co-main event fighters perform at this event, while also praising Charles Oliveira's performance at UFC 256. [27], Tagir Ulanbekov was briefly scheduled to face returning veteran Matheus Nicolau in a flyweight bout. [3][4], Starting with UFC on ABC: Holloway vs. Kattar, a limited number of fans were allowed inside the newly built Etihad Arena, marking the first time since UFC 248 on March 7, 2020 that non-essential event personnel were in attendance. Earlier this week, it was announced that a fans will be allowed to attend UFCs upcoming events on Jan. 16, Jan. 20, and Jan. 23. From the days of guaranteed weekly action to the situation where live events became a distant hope, it was an unprecedented stretch that the sports enthusiasts endured in the year gone by. [43][44] Subsequently, Tsarukyan forfeited 20% of his purse to Frevola as a result of missing weight. UFC is not the first sport to allow fans back in attendance as Boxing events have already done it and with success. UFC 257 concluded a run of three shows in eight days with a few thousand fans allowed inside the promotions coronavirus bubble in the Middle East. [31] In late December, Muniz withdrew due to an injury and was replaced by Makhmud Muradov. The Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism announced that fans will be permitted on their social media accounts. Though hes the lesser-ranked fighter on the list of contenders against Dustin Poirier, hes also the biggest draw in combat sports, and a huge favorite on the betting lines. [20] The pairing was then rescheduled for this event. A limited number of fans were allowed to attend UFC on ABC: Holloway vs. Kattar as well as UFC Fight Night: Chiesa vs. Magny. The live events are now prevalent around the world. The promotion hadnt held shows with fans since before the pandemic began last March. [26] She was replaced by Marina Rodriguez. [37], On the day of the weigh-ins, a couple of lightweight bouts suffered major changes due to several issues: Ottman Azaitar and Matt Frevola were scheduled to meet in the preliminary portion of the event. *** UPDATE: The limited amount of UFC 257 tickets have already sold out (details). A limited number of fans will be allowed to attend the UFCs upcoming events on Fight Island. So, the resounding query is, how many of them will set foot in to watch the much-anticipated Conor McGregor Vs. Dustin Poirier rematch? Tickets for UFC 257 which cost up to $1,350 already seem to be sold out, but fans can still get tickets to With the global pandemic causing havoc, the sports industry also took a major hit in 2020. However, with the coping process still on and the varying intensification of the virus, a provision that allows entry of limited fans at a sporting event is in place. The venue has maximum capacity of over 18,000, but the UFC was expecting to have closer to 2,000 fans for each of the Fight Island's events during the week. The promotion hadnt held shows with fans since before the pandemic began last March. Learn more about our use of cookies: cookie policy. [35] However on January 9, Dawodu was forced to withdraw from the bout citing a shoulder injury. Recent reports suggest that fans will be allowed for all three fights on Fight Island with a maximum of 2,000 fans allowed. Magny. UFC gives the green light for the fans to enter the arena once again. Starting January 16 and ending with UFC 257, a limited number of fans will be in attendance at the Ethiad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Fight Island. The Ultimate Fighter: Team Joanna vs. The, Our site uses cookies. In the United States tournaments such as NFL and MLB are already practicing this major modification. And in line with the same, recently the major MMA attraction around the world, UFC has confirmed that the forthcoming Pay-Per-ViewUFC 257 will mark the entry of fans for the first time since March 2020. A limited number of fans will be in attendance for the UFC's first three live events of 2021 -- marking the first time UFC events will be open to any spectators since UFC 248 on March 7 [45], The following fighters received $50,000 bonuses.[47]. UFC 257 concluded a run of three shows in eight days with a few thousand fans allowed inside the promotion's coronavirus bubble in the Middle East. [32], A women's bantamweight bout between The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rousey vs. Jan Blachowicz puts an end to Israel Adesanyas double champ pursuit at UFC 259. However, as the situation started to alleviate a little the renowned sporting units found the window to bring back, what is for so many the primary reason for joy and happiness. Team Cludia light heavyweight winner Andrew Sanchez and Andr Muniz was expected to take place at this event.