It’s time once again for our annual Year-End awards, and this year we’re leading with a new category: Story of the Year.
The MMA media business is often a reflection of the sport itself (as it should be), one in which anything can happen. In the cage and out of the cage, MMA rarely has a shortage of storylines. Hence introducing a “Story of the Year” category in our Year-End awards. It’s not like anyone is getting a trophy, this is more about singling out the story that really had our attention this past year.
Before we get started, RIP Abbey Subhan of MMA Junkie.
Story of the Year 2025
Eddie Law: UFC White House. The UFC’s White House event became the story of 2025 because it marked the first time in history a major sports promotion announced an event to take place on the lawn at the symbolic home of democracy. It represents an unprecedented fusion of sports, politics, and global entertainment which is something no league or promotion has ever pulled off at this scale. The symbolism alone made headlines: the most influential combat sports organization hosting a blockbuster card at the most recognizable residence in the world. Add in the star power, the historic stakes, and the sheer spectacle of an octagon on the South Lawn, and it becomes the kind of cultural moment that defines an entire year long before the first punch is thrown.
Gabriel Gonzalez: Jon Jones, Tom Aspinall, UFC Drama. While the White House discussion has become the topic of the year, the event isn’t happening in 2026. What did happen this year was constant talk about whether or not the GOAT would take on the challenge of interim champion Tom Aspinall. The jarring shift from seemingly being a done deal to then a behind the scenes renege by Jones led to some of the harshest backlash ever seen in the aftermath.
Jay Anderson: There are just so, so, so many stories to choose from this year. From the White House card to the Paramount+ deal, to UFC champions seemingly having to give up their titles before pursuing a second. There was the Jones-Aspinall, will they or won’t they drama. There was Conor McGregor’s political aspirations, which fizzled. And Ben Askren’s tragic yet inspirational double lung transplant. Of all that, it’s really, really hard for me to overlook a $7.7 billion dollar deal for the UFC’s TV rights. We all expected them to get better money coming off a successful stint on ESPN, but the Fight Nights, mainly the Apex shows, had grown stale. Interest in those at least seemed waning. Yet Paramount+, fresh off the Skydance merger, opted to shell out $1.1 billion U.S. per year for the UFC’s broadcast rights, then added Australia, Latin America, and Brazil for presumably even more money. Wow. Don’t hold your breath thinking fighter pay (outside of post-fight bonuses) will go up much, but with PPV gone, it’s a great deal for fans.
Brett Cagle: The UFC moves to Paramount Plus. The end of the ESPN era is upon us and that means new beginnings for the UFC and Paramount plus. A seven year $7.7 Billion dollar deal shook the sports world when Dana White and the UFC announced a new broadcast partner earlier this year. After a long run on the worldwide leader in sports the UFC’s new home will lower costs for fight fans significantly.
Mathis Desjardins: There are lots of stories to pick from, but what grabbed my attention early on was undefeated fighters losing their 0s at an unusual rate. Undefeated fighters had a 67.02%-win rate in 2023 and 65.88% in 2024, but they ended 2025 at 52.50%. They were at 43.14% at the end of July and would’ve finished sub-50% if it wasn’t for a 16-4 stretch to end the year. Can this be explained by harsher matchmaking or a decrease in the quality of the UFC newcomers? I’m not sure, but this was the story I kept my eye on all year long.
Daniel Vreeland: While fighters seeking double champion status is not a new thing, we’ve seen a hug uptick in the amount of fighters who see no value in defending their title. Ilia Topuria, Islam Makhachev and Weili Zhang all vacated titles this year in search of another. Meanwhile Jon Jones also abandoned his rather than fight Tom Aspinall and both Khamzat Chimaev and Alex Pereira seem bent on moving up for other challenges as well. Long gone are the days of Georges St. Pierre and Anderson Silva regularly defending their belts, but this year seemed to throw an exclamation point on that.
Bryson Hester: UFC Leaves ESPN, Goes to Paramount. Runner Up: GFL Collapses Before Launch. The UFC, after about a 7 year stint with ESPN, grabbed headlines with an eye-boggling 7-year, 7.7 Billion U.S. media rights deal with Paramount. This signals the start of a transition that has already began in some realms of pro boxing, the death of the traditional Pay Per View model. There’s a potential for different times in 2025. The runner up here is just too good to be true: the Global Fight League that was supposed to debut with an array of names back in May, but never quite materialized.
End result: The UFC’s move to Paramount+ is our 2025 Story of the Year. It ended the PPV model, at least in the U.S., and marked a massive increase in profitability for the UFC. $7.7 billion is a hard number to overlook.
