Dana White Reveals Governor's Message That Sparked UFC Fight Island

In the spring of 2020, the world came to an abrupt halt when the COVID-19 pandemic intensified. For the sporting calendar, it also meant that the UFC, an MMA promotion that holds events nearly every week of the calendar year, had to adjust.

For UFC CEO Dana White, being solution-oriented was much more consistent than just pausing the UFC event schedule entirely, no matter how controversial it seemed at the time.

So, that's what the promotion did. From mid-March 2020 to May of that same year, the UFC was left stagnant while it tried to figure out a pathway forward.

For White, it was about ensuring three things: no employee would lose their job, the fights that the promotion owed the roster would happen one way or another, and that ESPN would be satisfied with the inventory its MMA promotion it was in business with was giving it.

UFC CEO Dana White Nearly Had Pandemic Disaster Strike Before Pivot

Before the UFC could do anything, though, it had to figure out where a lot of the events would be hosted, with the travel restrictions and states being closed given the health crisis.

Appearing on a new episode of The Pivot, White shared a conversation he had with Nevada government officials where he quickly learned that even though the UFC had its own arena, it couldn't be utilized consistently.

Dana White's Conversation With Nevada Governor Changed UFC History

"I talked to the governor and told him I could put on fights," White recalled. "I just needed production guys. We could social distance, wear masks, do all the things they required. And he told me I couldn't do it. I was like, 'Well, you know what? I'll go to a deserted island somewhere, set up an octagon, and do it.' That's how Fight Island was created, and our sport grew 77 percent during COVID."

White and the UFC utilized the structure in Abu Dhabi until the beginning of 2021, when the world started to return to normal.

By April of that year, the UFC was hosting live events with fans in the United States, before eventually returning to Las Vegas for its first major blockbuster fight in over a year: a rematch between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor at UFC 264 at the T-Mobile Arena in July 2021.

By seeing the way White's team responded to the uncertainty of the business and the way the promotion rallied to keep putting out events, it left him with one rightful conclusion.

Dana White Credits UFC Team in Adverse Times

"That's why when it's time to run into the fire, my team runs with me," White said. "You find out who everybody is when hard times hit."

At present, the promotion continues to hold events all over the world while keeping its homebase in Las Vegas for marquee events at least four times per year (not including its Fight Night series).

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