As combat sports fans across the globe will no doubt know, July 11 saw the debut of UFC 251, with the company holding its first card on Dana White's heavily advertised "Fight Island." The scenic destination was located in Abu Dhabi, and was the first in a long line of stacked UFC cards coming to the MMA promotion's newest venue.
Naturally, the crazy idea of Fight Island drew the attention of a number of social media users, many of which began to realize that Dana White's eccentric plan was reminiscent of one of gaming's most iconic franchises. As many will no doubt remember, the original story for Mortal Kombat saw a variety of competitors journey to Shang Tsung's island, with the maniacal villain holding a tournament for the toughest warriors to test their might.
It seems the comparison between the UFC and Mortal Kombat has gotten so intense that one artist set to work envisioning a poster that combined both the MMA promotion and video game franchise into one. Showing off their epic creation on Twitter, BossLogic revealed to fans what a crossover might look like, posting a black and white image of Fight Island's promotional outdoor octagon with the Mortal Kombat logo towering above it. Alongside the cage are two figures which are instantly identifiable as Raiden and Scorpion, with the former flying through the air in his classic pose while the latter brandishes his iconic chain. It's an amusing and oddly atmospheric piece of artwork that really highlights how cool it would be to see the world of MMA and the realms of Mortal Kombat collide.
In the less fantastical world, UFC 251 was definitely an eventful night for fans watching from home. Rose Namajunas returned to the octagon and got revenge over Jessica Andrade, Petyr Yan was crowned UFC Bantamweight champion after toppling the legendary José Aldo, and Max Holloway was defeated for the second time by Alexander Volkanovski after a controversial decision following a five-round war. Of course, the main event was also fairly polarizing, with Kamaru Usman getting a win over fan-favorite Jorge 'Gamebred' Masvidal following a methodical, grappling-focused match up.
The event also saw some major new details surrounding the release of UFC 4 next month, which will see Masvidal and Israel 'Stylebender' Adesanya gracing the front cover. The game will offer new backyard octagons, a revamp to the career mode, and a wide array of brand new fighters for players to enjoy including boxing legends Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.