On April 13, the UFC filed 22 new trademarks for:
‘FIGHT ISLAND’
&
‘UFC FIGHT ISLAND’
The filings were made based on an “intent to use” FIGHT ISLAND as the name of a mixed martial arts competition and for branded goods such as clothing and jewelry.#UFC #ufc249 pic.twitter.com/Q9cHHQJFBK— Josh Gerben (@JoshGerben) April 17, 2020
If these filings are any indication, the Ultimate Fighting Championship is going full steam ahead with “Fight Island.”
Attorney Josh Gerben first reported on Friday that the UFC has filed trademarks for 22 uses of “Fight Island” and “UFC Fight Island.” In addition to the promotion looking to use these trademarks for events, they are also being filed for items the UFC plans to market including clothing and jewelry.
The existence of “Fight Island” was first brought to light by UFC President Dana White, when concerns about the coronavirus threatened international fight cards. Travel restrictions in the U.S. would prohibit many fighters on the roster from participating in events held in various stateside locations. Therefore, to circumvent these travel bans, the UFC head proposed a private island that would not be subject to American regulations.
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Although many scoffed at the idea of a private island held for combat in the vein of “Enter the Dragon” or “Mortal Kombat,” White doubled down when announcing the postponement of multiple events including UFC 249. “’Fight Island’ is real,” he exclaimed in his interview with ESPN. “It’s a real thing. The infrastructure is being built right now. That’s really gonna happen, and it will be on ESPN.”
Since the announcement of this island, multiple fighters on the roster including flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko and bantamweight contender Petr Yan have expressed their interest in competing at such a locale. Others including bantamweight Brian Kelleher and coach Ray Longo have posited that the lack of legitimate training camps during the coronavirus pandemic could hamper fighters regardless of the location.
Some in the community have also been discussing whether the island is indeed a reality. If the trademark filings are among the first legal steps towards getting this done, “Fight Island” could be coming to the UFC sooner than later.
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