Report: Major Update On UFC 253 Location

It appears the location of UFC 253 has been revealed.

UFC 253 is set to take place on September 26. Headlining the card will be a UFC Middleweight Title bout between champion Israel Adesanya and Paulo Costa. It’ll be Costa’s first crack at UFC gold and the second time Adesanya puts his 185-pound title up for grabs.

Ag Fight is reporting that UFC 253 will take place on “Fight Island.” If the report holds true, then UFC 253 will emanate from the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi. This was the site of UFC 251 and a few other Fight Night cards as part of the UFC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The UFC has yet to officially announce the location of UFC 253. When asked by reporters about the location, UFC President Dana White responded by saying Abu Dhabi is likely. Going by the report, it seems he followed through with that plan.

The co-main event of UFC 253 will also feature championship action. Dominick Reyes and Jan Blachowicz will throw leather for the vacant UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. When Reyes vs. Blachowicz was first booked, the stakes weren’t clear. That changed when Jon Jones relinquished the UFC Light Heavyweight Title.

In addition to Adesanya vs. Costa and Reyes vs. Blachowicz, UFC 253 is expected to feature a pivotal strawweight tilt between Claudia Gadelha and Yan Xiaonan. A featherweight matchup between Hakeem Dawadou and Zubaira Tukhugov is also planned for the event.