The UFC and the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) appear to remain locked in a standoff when it comes to bringing the octagon back the islands.
UFC president Dana White recently visited Honolulu to take in a regional event for his “Lookin’ For A Fight” reality series, and the trip appeared to bring out some nostalgia from his many trips to watch MMA shows nearly two decades ago.
White said he loves Hawaii as a place to watch live events, and he would like to see the UFC host an event there for the first time in its history. He claims it’s not up to him, though, and challenged the HTA, which would need to approve a proposal, to come to terms.
“We want to come here,” White told KHON2. “We love this place, and we’ve got to get this thing figured out eventually. So we’ll see. We’ll see what happens. I want it. Does the tourism board want it? Do they, or do they not? If they do, we’ll come. If they do not, we understand.”
According to previous reports, the UFC and the HTA were “millions of dollars” apart on negotiations for an event in Hawaii. The leading MMA organization is reported to want in the mid-seven-figures to host a card in Hawaii.
If a deal eventually comes to fruition, UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway would be the obvious focal point of the show. Holloway was cageside at “Trinity Kings 8″ alongside White for the filming of his reality show, and he was clearly pestering the UFC boss to get a deal done.
“This place has been the spot for mixed martial arts since the late 90s,” White said. “I haven’t been out here for a fight in a while, so it was good to be out here. I had Max with me. Max wants it bad.”
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Dana White wants UFC Hawaii to happen, but 'does the tourism board want it?'