Report: Hawaii Officials Met with UFC in Las Vegas to Discuss 2018 Event

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is getting closer to holding its first-ever event in The Aloha State.

According to a report from KHON2, a “delegation” that including the Hawaii Tourism Authority and Aloha Stadium officials met with the UFC at the promotion’s headquarters in Las Vegas on Tuesday to discuss the possibility of holding an event in Hawaii this year.

The meeting reportedly went well, and the Octagon could touch down in the state by the summer or fall. Such a card, of course, would center around the presence of reigning UFC featherweight king Max Holloway, who is scheduled to defend his title against Frankie Edgar at UFC 222 in Las Vegas on March 3. According to the report, further details of a Hawaiian UFC event will be negotiated after Holloway’s fight.

A native of Waianae, Hawaii, Holloway has repeatedly campaigned for the Las Vegas-based organization to travel to his home state. UFC President Dana White admitted that such an event was in the works at a recent press conference to promote UFC 220.

“We’re working on UFC Hawaii,” White said. “I’ve changed my mind. I’ve always been afraid of doing it outside. Plus it rains like every 10 minutes there, but we’re working on it and we really want to do it and obviously with a Hawaiian champion now too it makes a lot of sense. We’re working on it.”