Dana White: No Change In UFC Middle-East Plans Despite Iran War

Dana White said there is no current change to UFC plans in the Middle-East despite the ongoing conflict between Iran, the United States, and Israel.

The conflict, breaking out at the end of February with an attack on Iran by the US and Israel, has seen neighboring states in the region involved; Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Qatar are among the nations allied to the US that have felt attacks from Iranian forces as a result. The US Embassy in Riyadh was struck in early March by what was reported to be an Iranian drone.

With tensions boiling over all across the region and UFC making regular stops there in its schedule, including later this year with Fight Night on June 27 scheduled to emanate from Baku in Azerbaijan and an Abu Dhabi (UAE) show planned for July, the question was put to as to whether or not those plans would be changed or under consideration.

"No," White replied during the Fight Night press conference on Saturday. "As of right now, no."

Azerbaijan shares a border to the north of Iran and reported a drone strike on an airport terminal earlier this month. Abu Dhabi has seen numerous missile and drone attacks in the city targeting US military infrastructure. It is worth noting that UFC still ran its Doha Fight Night event in November, after bombs had been dropped on Qatar in June and September 2025.

On the flip side, Joe Rogan made the point only recently that the White House card in June feels "weird" to host while the war is ongoing. Rogan is due to be at the booth for commentary on June 14.