UFC president Dana White says that Fight Island should be ready by the middle of May to hold UFC events featuring international fighters.

White made headlines recently when he revealed he had acquired a private island in order to host future UFC events. Fans and media were taken aback by the news of White trying to hold events on a private island as the coronavirus pandemic eliminated the ability for the UFC to hold fights in the mainland United States. At first, it seemed like a bit of an inside joke, but it soon became clear that White was very serious about Fight Island.

Speaking to Yahoo! Sports, White once again reaffirmed that Fight Island is as real as it can get. In fact, the UFC president confirmed that renovations are underway for the island to open in a month from now. At that point, White hopes the UFC can start holding fights there featuring international talent. He hopes that American fighters will be able to fight in the United States once restrictions loosen across the country as the coronavirus pandemic slows.

White told Kevin Iole that Fight Island is especially important because he needs a place for international fighters to compete. He’s worried that he will run out of American talent quickly, and this is the best solution for that.

“We’re going to run through the American fighters pretty quickly, so we have to get that up and ready to roll,” White said.

White still plans on holding the newly-formed UFC 249/250 card somewhere in the United States, but after that, he hopes to start holding events for international fighters on Fight Island. The coronavirus pandemic may have stopped White from holding events from March to May, but the UFC president is doing everything in his power to make sure that he gets his company back up and running soon.

Are you as optimistic about Fight Island as Dana White is?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 4/16/2020.