“I will keep dogging this out until the day I drop dead. I love it, 100 percent.” That’s what Dana White said while talking about his promotion. The UFC is now making groundbreaking deals like the Paramount partnership to put out the best shows for the spectators. And those attempts to make professional MMA better are seemingly getting recognized as year-on-year award nominations are rolling for UFC.

Sports Business Journal (SBJ) is one of the leading multimedia companies covering the business side of sports. Every year, they host and give out Sports Business Awards in multiple categories. This year is set to be their 19th year doing the same. This is an improvement from 2025, as UFC has been nominated in two categories this year.

First off, it is the “Deal of the Year,” where UFC’s media rights partnership with Paramount is getting the recognition. The record-breaking deal was done for $7.7 billion for seven years, and through this, the leading MMA promotion has already brought in major changes in production. The subscription rates for PPVs have gone down since 2026, along with increased fighters’ pay and bonuses. The production teams and viewing experience of the UFC events have witnessed noteworthy changes, with some more changes expected in the future.

After that, for yet another time, UFC has been nominated alongside the NFL, NHL, MLB, US Sports and Paralympics Committee, and National Women’s Soccer League for the “Sports League of the Year.” Notably, the leading MMA promotion has already achieved this recognition twice in 2022 and 2025. This year again, with a win, they secure the award for the third time.

Apart from that, there are many nominations for the people surrounding UFC. Take the example of TKO COO Mark Shapiro, who is getting recognized for his work. As such, the SBJ Sports Business Awards have put Shapiro in the nominations for the “Executive of the Year” award. For those unaware, TKO is the parent company of UFC and WWE. Shapiro played a crucial role in navigating the UFC-WWE merger under TKO, and both promotions received major media rights deals under his leadership.

Surely, for Dana White, it’s a happy time to see the work of the people around him achieving such stature in front of the world. That said, for White, there is another surprise. The UFC CEO has now entered the boxing world as a promoter through Zuffa Boxing, which also falls under the TKO umbrella.

Although the numbered events started in 2026, Zuffa Boxing was the promoter for the Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford event in 2025. The fight drew over 41.4 million global viewers on Netflix, setting a record as the most-viewed men’s championship boxing match of the century.

As a result, SBJ has also nominated Canelo vs. Crawford in the “Sports Events of the Year” category. While the nominations are out, the official results will be declared on May 20. That said, are these the only recognitions that the UFC has ever been nominated for? The answer is no.

When Dana White & Co. won Emmy Awards through Noche UFC

Noche UFC is an annual event held in September to commemorate Mexican Independence Day. As such, the cards celebrate Mexican fighting spirit and culture, featuring several Mexican-American competitors. In 2025, the UFC announced it would host that particular event at the Las Vegas Sphere.

It was something that shocked many in the beginning, as it would require the leading MMA promotion to make several changes in terms of lighting, seating structure, and others. But Dana White had his eyes set on reaching a never-before-achieved feat. As such, he particularly targeted nominations for Oscar, Emmy, and Grammy.

And just a few months before the 2025 Noche UFC (UFC 306) event, the Emmys recognized the leading MMA promotion’s efforts with two awards. First, it was the Sports Emmy for Outstanding Studio or Production Design/Art Direction, and second, for Outstanding Graphic Design – Specialty.

It was surely a spectacle. As such, the leading MMA promotion left no stone unturned to make UFC 306 successful. To that end, Dana White & Co. also spent over $20 million. The major cost for the event was driven by high-tech, immersive visual productions for the Sphere’s massive, high-definition screen.

That said, while the 2025 Noche UFC event bagged two Emmys, it will be interesting to see the results of the 19th SBJ Sports Business Awards. On that note, do you think the leading MMA promotion can take away the “Sports League of the Year” recognition for the third time? Let us know in the comments below!