Dana White is anything but traditional. White loves nothing more than pushing the boundaries and going to places nobody has ever gone before, and that remains the case when it comes to the UFC.
The founder and CEO has long been figuring out new ways to wow his audience. The Sphere. The White House. AI integration. All innovative ideas that only strengthen the UFC’s long-term success. Fans are the lifeblood of the company, and knowing this, White wants as many eyes as possible on his product. Due to the positive reaction over the years, he has ventured into different states, countries, and arenas to bring the fights to supporters across the globe.
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23 years after its first event, Dana White is still looking to expand. After countless attempts, it looks like the UFC has finally figured out how to reach one of its core fan bases. Despite being among its biggest markets, the UFC has never held an event in Hawaii… until now.
The Hawaiian Islands lacked an arena able to accommodate a major UFC card, which often led to them being overlooked when booking new venues. The change of heart from the promotion came when the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District in Halawa, Oahu, was announced: a 31,000-seat multi-purpose facility capable of hosting combat sports events, slated to open in the first quarter of 2029.
Dana White and his team loved the news. Since the announcement, White has wasted no time in revealing that the inaugural UFC Hawaii event won’t be far behind the opening of the new complex.
“One of our biggest markets since day one has been Hawaii, and we’ve still never put on an event in Hawaii,” White said. “We’ve had multiple world champions from Hawaii.”
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“The infrastructure there can’t support a UFC event. But now they’re building a new arena there. Supposed to be done in 2028 or 2029. I like destinations where people want to go. When we do UFC Hawaii, people will lose their minds. Who doesn’t want to go to UFC Hawaii? And every staff member I have working is going to want to work that event. So, off the top of my head you firing at me when I think about UFC Hawaii; that will be a fun one.”
