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The UFC has been able to keep fighting on throughout the coronavirus pandemic, finding ways to hold events while other professional sports organizations were shutting down. UFC boss Dana White began holding events at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and created Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, and now he may need to be innovative once again.
Because of the new COVID-19 travel restrictions in the United States that go into place on November 8, the promotion’s international fighters, coaches, and managers will need to be fully vaccinated and return a negative COVID-19 test within three days of traveling to the country.
UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell issued a memo about the changes, which are not a UFC policy. The UFC does not require its fighters to be vaccinated, but the WHO travel guidelines will impact foreign fighters.
“Fully vaccinated travellers will also be required to show a pre-departure negative COVID-19 test taken within three days of travel prior to boarding their flight,” UFC officials said in the memo, via MMA Junkie. “This policy also applies to foreign nationals crossing the land borders with Canada and Mexico or arriving in the United States by passenger ferry.
“To be clear, this is NOT a UFC policy. UFC is not requiring you to get vaccinated. We are simply communicating the new guidelines recently announced by the U.S. government.”
The good news, however, is that Dana White said on Tuesday night that Fight Island could be hosting more events to keep international fighters active, while UFC 267 is scheduled for Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, October 30.
“I think ‘Fight Island’ is going to be hopping again,” White said after Dana White’s Contender Series 44. “Yeah, we’re looking to do more events (there). I’m going to Abu Dhabi next Wednesday, so I have a lot of meetings out there. I’ve been dying to walk you guys through what’s been going on in Abu Dhabi anyways, so this trip I’ll get everything done, buttoned up and finished.”
