UFC 251: What time are the fights happening on Fight Island?
By Ivan Surlina
Here are the times the fights at UFC 251 will air in the U.S. and Abu Dhabi.
The UFC makes its first appearance of the year in Abu Dhabi this Saturday for UFC 251: Kamaru Usman vs. Jorge Masvidal. Due to the global pandemic not allowing international fighters to come into the United States to compete, the UFC created their very own Fight Island facility on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in order to let their roster’s international talent compete. With the event being held on an entirely different continent, it begs the question, what time will the fights occur and when will they air on television?
The fights themselves will actually be on July 12 in Abu Dhabi, seeing as they are eight hours ahead of eastern time here in the United States. The early prelims kick off at 2 am local time, with the prelims starting at 4 am before the main card begins at 6 am. The two men involved in the main event, Usman and Masvidal, will most likely be making their way to the cage sometime after 8 am.
What time will the fights air in the United States?
As usual, the UFC will be catering to the American TV audience by airing the fights during normal sporting hours in the United States on July 11. The early prelims will air at 6 pm ET on UFC Fight Pass, the prelims will air at 8 pm ET on ESPN, and the PPV main card will begin at 10 pm ET on ESPN+.
The last time the UFC held an event in Abu Dhabi was in 2019 for UFC 242: Nurmagomedov vs. Poirier. That particular event was catered more towards the viewers in that region of the world, with the main card opening at 2 pm ET here in the U.S.
An issue for some of the fighters, depending on where in the world they live, will be adjusting their internal clock to wake up in the early hours of the morning to engage in a fistfight. Either way, the card looks solid and fans are in for a real treat come fight night.
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