[theme music]
♪♪
>> Surprise!
Hi, this is Noura.
Welcome to Fight Island 3.
Please come inside with me.
I'll take you for a tour of the Etihad Arena,
the new home for the UFC.
♪♪
The arena is the biggest arena in UAE.
It was opened in late 2020.
Capacity for 18,000 seats standing,
with lots of available configurations
to fit any kind of event.
This arena has like high technology,
lots of screens.
>> Craig: The Etihad Arena is brand new.
All of it is state of the art
and it really adds to the production value
that we're able to put on the screen.
>> How are you?
We meet there.
Hello.
We're very excited to have fans
to live events again.
Although we had Fight Island 1 and Fight Island 2
in July and September,
these two events had no spectators.
Yet we managed to entertain the whole world.
>> Here in Abu Dhabi, they made a request
to the Department of Health here in Abu Dhabi
to have a certain number of fans in attendance,
as long as they met all of the protocol
leading up to the event, which they did, of course,
and we're able to put a limited number
of lucky fans in the building.
[beeping]
♪♪
>> Noura: We're gonna have to have 2000 fans,
and this is a starting number.
This number was finalized due to
the social distancing that is imposed
and the guidelines to protect everyone.
So to ensure everyone is safe
while attending this event,
we have two meters distance between each seat.
This is why you will see one seat on,
then few seats off until the one seat on.
This is across all the arena.
[chatter]
[buzzing]
♪♪
>> Noura: So these acrylics were installed
to ensure that there is no interaction
between the fighters and the fans.
So all spectators are required to have a PCR test
done 48 hours before the event
and they have to show us the results
at the checkpoint once they enter the venue.
Plus, they will go through a thermal scanner
to check their temperature.
Any spectator with a high temperature
will not be allowed to enter the arena.
They need to wear masks throughout the event.
And we have different food and beverage
ordering options for them.
This is a completely different experience
from Fight Island 1 and Fight Island 2.
It's gonna be very loud
and we're very excited to have the spectators back.
♪♪
>> Craig: For the UFC, anytime you're on broadcast TV,
it's a big deal.
Just in general, in the sports world,
if you're on broadcast TV,
you kind of hit the pinnacle in terms of distribution.
Since we transitioned into our partnership
with Disney and ESPN,
we hadn't had a broadcast opportunity
until on Saturday night when we were able
to debut a really stacked Fight Night on ABC.
♪♪
>> What I like with Abu Dhabi
is taking care of everything and we will see.
>> You know, it's the first event right
so I'm excited to get in there and see the fights.
>> So exciting, man.
>> I can't wait for this.
>> The vigorous process that they put in place
makes me and I think us feel really safe that
you know, everything is under control.
So, Abu Dhabi rocks.
>> This is the arena's main concourse
and this is where people enter from the gates to the arena.
This is where the concessions are
and this is where people can order
their food and drinks.
>> My first UFC fight.
>> Yeah, me too.
>> I've never been to the UFC before
so I'm really excited.
This is going to be my first ever time.
>> We're ready to watch the fights.
♪♪
>> Craig: The main event Calvin Kattar and Max Holloway,
Dana and the matchmakers had identified that
as a fight that they felt was really perfect for broadcast TV.
>> I need a big number out of the 808 nation.
Yeah.
Hawaii.
>> They always represent, though, for their people.
>> They do.
>> Craig: You know on paper when the matchmakers
and Dana are trying to figure out who to put on a card,
they don't always play out the way you hope.
This one actually overdelivered
on what the expectations were.
>> Bruce: The pride of Hawaii:
Max "Blessed" Holloway!
[cheering]
>> Dana: They're [bleep] loud.
This crowd is [bleep] awesome.
>> Jon: Deep breath, folks.
The tension of a UFC main event.
Nothing quite like it in all the professional sports.
>> Kattar looks in [bleep] shape, dude.
>> He does look in shape. >> Ooh, ooh ohh.
>> This is gonna be something.
♪♪
>> Look at that [bleep] jab, man.
>> The jab comes in like whap, whap.
>> It's a piercing jab.
There's again, another one.
>> DC: Max has not been punched.
It's two jabs, he's already getting red.
>> It's a [bleep] great jab.
>> Max is doing volume.
>> Yeah, yeah.
>> Nice [bleep] right hand by Kattar.
>> Like, nobody in MMA utilizes the jab
as effectively as Kattar.
>> Oh, [bleep].
>> That hurt him. >> That did hurt him.
>> That was good. That hurt him.
>> He should go to the body again.
>> And he did. >> And he did.
>> Oh, man!
>> DC: What a right hand by Holloway.
Max Holloway looks as good as he's ever looked right now.
>> That kick hurt him.
>> Great first round. >> Yeah.
It's a good one.
I'll tell you.
>> Dan: See, Kattar's standing his ground.
He knows he's got the bigger caliber gun in this fight.
But what he doesn't want
is to be peppered constantly because that will
just take his will to compete out of him.
>> Ooh. >> Another one.
>> That hurt him. >> That's a wrap.
>> Holloway's pace is, like, relentless.
>> I know, man. >> Right?
Ooh, he got the uppercut.
This is something else, huh?
Oh, man.
>> Ooh, [bleep]. Din Thomas.
Ooh.
>> I don't know how much more [bleep] damage
I wanna see Kattar take.
>> I know, he's taken a lot of punishment.
>> Jon: Oh, kick!
Kattar is in trouble!
Kattar got stunned!
>> He's like the number one ranked guy
in the world today.
>> He's on.
>> Oh, nice body shot again.
♪♪
>> Dan: Oh, this could be it!
>> DC: He doesn't wanna get hit in the body anymore.
>> Get in there, ref.
Come on, ref.
He's [bleep] wobbling.
He's out on his feet.
Ref, come on.
Ref, stop this fight.
>> Jon: And yet, Kattar somehow, some way throwing offense!
He's landing at times.
>> DC: Calvin Kattar is as tough as they come.
But Max Holloway is beating him up.
[horn blowing]
>> Holy [bleep].
Wow.
>> Jon: Calvin Kattar seems pretty sound of mind,
Dan, despite all the damage absorbed
but he will need to finish if he is going to move
into this top two or three.
>> He took so much [bleep] punishment
in this fight I'm freaking out a little bit, man.
I don't know-- I don't like it.
This reminds me kind of a fight
where the fight's over and he walks in the back
and [bleep] dies.
And I think that [bleep] Herb Dean
should have stopped in the fourth round.
>> Yeah.
>> He was wobbling all over.
>> He had him up against the cage there.
That's when he had him.
>> He should have stopped the fight, right?
♪♪
This [bleep] round can't end fast enough for me.
>> Dan: "Blessed" Max Holloway is baptizing
him in his own blood today.
[cheering]
>> Dan: Oh! >> Jon: Right hand!
Max Holloway there.
>> Dan: Max Holloway just looked at the commentary team
and said, "I'm the best boxer in the UFC."
>> Oh! >> Slipping punches!
I have never seen anything like this in my life.
>> When this fight's over, no stopping, no talking.
Get this kid in an ambulance
and get him the [bleep] outta here immediately.
>> DC: Oh, man, look at all the blood.
[unintelligible]
>> DC: Oh, my goodness.
>> Jon: This is the Max Holloway show tonight.
[airhorn blowing]
With a monumental effort in the first
UFC main event on ABC.
>> DC: Wow.
>> Hey, guys. Guys.
I want him out of here.
Don't talk to anybody
and go right to the [bleep] hospital, man.
Alright? >> Yup.
>> Alright.
Could you ask for a better fight on ABC?
>> Holy [bleep]. For the first one.
>> Right.
I'm just a little worried about these two.
That was a [bleep] war, yeah.
It should've been stopped in the 4th round.
>> 4th round, over. >> Yup, yup. I agree.
>> Bruce: The judges score the contest:
50-43, 50-43, and 50-42
for the winner by unanimous decision,
the pride of Hawaii:
Max "Blessed" Holloway!
♪♪
>> Dana: [bleep] amazing, man.
>> Dana: Yeah, I know, but.
>> Dana: I understand, man.
Thank you. Unbelievable fight.
You're going straight to the hospital, alright?
Yeah, we'll take care of you.
>> Craig: It was the highest level MMA
and maybe the best performance,
arguably of all time for an individual fighter.
If you look at the records that Max broke,
he not only broke records in striking and accuracy,
but he shattered them
and it was multiple categories.
I mean, the performance he put on was
at the next level.
♪♪
>> Noura: What an exciting main event we had today.
We were so happy to have fans at the Etihad Arena.
Go, Abu Dhabi!
♪♪