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Dana White says Hawaii is still on the UFC wish list, and the missing piece may finally be changing. During a Rich Eisen Show appearance, White pointed to a new arena project as the infrastructure path toward the promotion’s first event in the state, where Max Holloway and B.J. Penn remain central names in UFC history. White was asked where he would take the UFC next if logistics were not part of the question. He immediately brought up Hawaii, but he stopped short of announcing a booked card or date. “Well, there’s still places that we, you know, it’s crazy. One of our biggest markets since day one has been Hawaii and we’ve still never put on an event in Hawaii. We’ve had multiple world champions from Hawaii.” The UFC CEO then explained why the company has not made the trip yet. “The infrastructure there can’t support, you know, a UFC event, but now they’re building a new arena there supposed to be done in like 28 or 29.” White Frames Hawaii As A Destination Event White connected the idea to destination cards, not a routine Fight Night booking. Hawaii has long been one of the most obvious gaps on the UFC map because of its MMA fan base and its history with champions from the islands. “I like destinations where people like, when we do UFC Hawaii, people will lose their minds.” “Who doesn’t want to go to UFC Hawaii? And every staff member I have working is going to want to work that event.” The timing matters because UFC has spent the past year leaning harder into major-location events and cross-sport scheduling. White has already juggled UFC and boxing priorities around high-profile UFC 331 storylines, and he has continued to discuss ambitious event concepts while the promotion moves deeper into its Paramount era. Hawaii would also give the UFC an obvious symbolic hook. Holloway has carried the state at championship level for years, while Penn remains one of the most important two-division champions in company history. Still, White’s comments leave the practical question open: the arena timeline comes first, then the UFC can decide whether a Hawaii debut fits the calendar. For now, the news is not a formal event announcement. It is a clearer signal that UFC leadership still sees Hawaii as a market worth solving, even while more immediate questions around Tom Aspinall, UFC Paris, and the fall schedule take up the current news cycle.