We were all months into the pandemic with no hope of watching live sports in the foreseeable future. Then, on June 9th, UFC president Dana White announced the existence of “Fight Island” and how it would be the location of UFC 251 and 3 other UFC events.
UFC Fight Island: Declassified is a new thought-provoking, four-part documentary series covering the UFC’s challenge to produce a major sports event when much of the world was shut down. The documentary features never before seen footage of UFC President Dana White, UFC athletes, coaches, UFC announcers, production crew, security personnel, medical staff, and more. UFC Fight Island: Declassified chronicles all that went into producing UFC 251 on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, the “Fight Island” location this past summer.
The docu-series will air every Friday, leading up UFC 254: Khabib vs Gaethje on October 25.
How To Watch UFC Fight Island: Declassified
UFC Fight Island: Declassified airs exclusively on ESPN+ The first episode of UFC Fight Island: Declassifieddebuts Friday, October 2nd on ESPN+ with the remaining three episodes airing over the following three Fridays.
ESPN+ is a Disney owned premium add-on streaming service offering exclusive sports coverage, events, and original sports programming. A subscription to ESPN+ costs $5.99 per month and provides a ton of extra and exclusive content from nearly every professional sport. Once you subscribe to ESPN+, you can watch it through the ESPN app. For more information on this service, see our guide: What is ESPN+.
The ESPN App supports Roku Players and TVs, Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast, Apple TV, Android, iPhone, Samsung TVs, Xbox One, and PS4. We put together an article that explains how this is done here: How to Watch ESPN+ on Your TV.
What will UFC Fight Island: Declassified Reveal
The following lists the episode description for each episode of UFC Fight Island: Declassified:
Episode 1: Uncharted Waters – With unprecedented access to White as he makes the impossible possible, the first episode captures his fight to bring UFC back as the first major sport to produce live events in the COVID era.
Episode 2: No Man an Island – Embedded with several UFC athletes and their teams as they deal with a myriad of challenges, the second episode shows how one fighter is forced to rely only on his best friend to coach him after his entire training team tests positive for COVID-19. While Joseph Benavidez fights for a UFC title, with his wife and UFC broadcaster Megan Olivi by his side, the couple faces unforeseen adversity.
Episode 3: Against the Tide – Episode three follows UFC athletes as the coronavirus impacts their family and loved ones, including one fighter who must make his UFC debut with his family locked down in a different part of the world, and another who may be forced to relinquish his championship dreams after being exposed to the virus.
Episode 4: Welcome to Paradise – As the first live events at Fight Island conclude, the UFC has defied the odds, and Abu Dhabi will become the world’s new fight capital. Also, a new superstar emerges, displaying a dominance never before been seen in the UFC, and a veteran competitor aims to re-establish herself as the reigning queen of women’s combat.