UFC President Dana White has revealed an epic trailer for the eagerly anticipated UFC 251 card on Fight Island.
So PUMPED for fight island!!!! #yasisland #InAbuDhabi @VisitAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/u7psP0DlV7
— danawhite (@danawhite) June 21, 2020
The world of sports has been hit badly by the coronavirus pandemic. The sudden outbreak put an end to many major live sporting events. The UFC reacted by putting safety measures into place to stream fight cards from a closed arena. However, not every matchup could be saved, as coronavirus-related travel restrictions hindered several fights. For instance, Khabib Nurmagomedov was unable to meet Tony Ferguson in the Octagon. Instead ‘El Cucuy’ ended up fighting Justin Gaethje and lost by TKO. Also, Leon Edwards was expected to take on the former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley at UFC London in March, but the entire fight card was cancelled.
In an attempt to bypass any travel limitations and stop the same from happening again, White has secured his own private “Fight Island”. Earlier this month, the official location was announced as Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
The upcoming UFC 251 fight card on the UAE island promises to host three incredible title fights.
In the UFC 251 main event, Kamaru Usman is expected to defend his title against No. 1 ranked contender Gilbert Burns. “The Nigerian Nightmare” hasn’t fought since his 2019 UFC 245 victory against Colby Covington. Meanwhile, “Durinho” Burns has been ploughing his way through the 170-pound division with recent wins against Gunnar Nelson, Demian Maia and Tyron Woodley. The pair will fight it out for the welterweight title.
The current featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski is also scheduled to defend his title for the first time against his former opponent, Max Holloway at UFC 251. The Australian champion claimed the belt from “Blessed”, also at UFC 245 on December 14, 2019 with a unanimous decision victory.
Also on the UFC 251 card, Petr Yan will take on the former UFC and WEC featherweight champion, Jose Aldo. The Russian bantamweight has steamrolled his way to No. 3 in the division’s rankings. Meanwhile, Aldo has only fought once in the division since moving down from featherweight. His lone bantamweight fight was against former bantamweight title challenger Marlon Moraes. Aldo lost the fight by split decision. The close verdict was not lost on fans, as many felt that Aldo delivered the win. The top bantamweight prospects will fight for the bantamweight crown that was vacated by Henry Cejudo following his retirement announcement last month.
Watch the epic trailer for UFC 251 above.