Hawaii governor envisions 'partnership' with UFC in Aloha Stadium District

If Hawaii Gov. Josh Green has his way, the state's New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District (NASED) will play host to UFC, but not until at least March 2029, when the multi-purpose stadium is slated to be open for business.

Green met with UFC president Dana White and UFC BMF champion and Hawaii native Max Holloway last week in Maui for a donation to assist wildfire survivors, and discussed hosting a UFC event in the Aloha State for the first time.

"We want to bring UFC to Hawaii. We've also talked to some of the benefactors of the UFC to do that," Green told a Hawaii television station. "It's not just going to be one fight. What we'd like to do is a partnership with UFC, where we can perhaps bring a training facility like they have in Las Vegas to the stadium district. I think it's a very good plan for us. We'll hash out these details in the coming months."

NASED, which would replace the old Aloha Stadium, will include a stadium built with modern amenities and designed to host sports and entertainment events including football, soccer and rugby.

The district will also offer retail, commercial, office and entertainment space and be anchored by residential housing and hotels. UFC and its Performance Institute, which has recently opened training centers in Shanghai and Mexico, could become a tenant in the district.

"It's more opportunity to kind of reshape some of the tourism experience that we have, and it's something that people are very high on," Green said. "Having that kind of excitement, there's a person-to-person, higher rate of interest in UFC in Hawaii than anywhere else in the country, except for maybe Nevada."

UFC has been hesitant to host events in Hawaii, partly due to weather issues, but a Performance Institute would allow the company to hold events all year indoors.

-Field Level Media