Dana White Teases UFC Hawaii Possibility

Dana White has again named Hawaii as a destination he wants the UFC to visit. The state has produced champions, built a passionate MMA audience and remained conspicuously absent from the promotion’s event map. White says the obstacle has never been interest. In his view, Hawaii has lacked an arena capable of supporting a full UFC production.

A new venue project could eventually change that calculation. During an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, White said an arena is being built and is expected to be completed in 2028 or 2029. His enthusiasm was clear, but this was not an event announcement: the UFC has not booked a building, selected a date or begun assembling a Hawaii card.

A new arena could remove the main obstacle

White’s explanation puts infrastructure at the center of the story. A UFC event requires more than seats and a cage. The promotion needs broadcast facilities, space for athletes and production crews, reliable transport and enough local capacity to handle fight-week operations. White believes Hawaii’s existing options have not met those demands.

The construction project offers a possible solution, although the timeline remains broad. A projected completion in 2028 or 2029 leaves years for the building plan and UFC schedule to develop. Even after the venue opens, the promotion would still need to negotiate a date and decide where a Hawaii event fits among its numbered cards and Fight Night shows.

That uncertainty should not obscure the change in tone. White is no longer talking only about a market he would like to visit someday; he is pointing to a specific development that could make the trip practical. The arena is a reason for optimism, not a guarantee.

Hawaii already has a deep UFC connection

The appeal extends beyond the location itself. B.J. Penn and Max Holloway became UFC champions while representing Hawaii, and generations of fighters from the islands have helped build the state’s reputation in combat sports. White described Hawaii as one of the UFC’s strongest markets dating back to the promotion’s early years.

That history has made the lack of a local event more noticeable. Hawaiian fans have supported fighters across distant time zones, while the UFC has repeatedly taken cards to other established markets. A suitable arena would finally give the promotion a chance to bring the live product to an audience that has long followed it from afar.

Any eventual lineup would invite obvious speculation about Hawaiian athletes, but no fighter has been attached to a card. Holloway and other local names help explain the excitement; they should not be treated as booked participants. The same caution applies to the venue timeline, which comes from White’s comments rather than a UFC event schedule.

• White said Hawaii’s previous infrastructure could not support the kind of event the UFC stages.
• A new arena is expected to be completed in 2028 or 2029.
• The UFC has not announced a Hawaii date, venue booking, fight card or participating athletes.

The venue question also explains why enthusiasm alone has not produced a card before now. Hawaii’s distance from the continental United States makes freight, staffing and broadcast logistics more demanding, so an arena must do more than hold a large crowd. It needs to support the technical footprint of a modern UFC event and give the promotion confidence that fight week can run reliably. If the new project supplies that foundation, the discussion can move from desire to detailed planning.

For now, UFC Hawaii belongs in the category of realistic ambition rather than scheduled business. The promotion has a willing audience and White has publicly expressed interest. The remaining question is whether the arena project delivers the facilities required to turn that interest into an event.

The long lead time means patience is necessary. If the venue opens as projected and meets the UFC’s requirements, Hawaii could finally receive the card its fight culture has earned. Until a formal announcement arrives, however, the new arena is the opportunity—not the event itself.