Wednesday, March 23, 2011

UFC NEWS: UFC nominated for "Professional Sports League of the Year" alongside NBA, NHL, NFL and MLS

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship is getting some major recognition in 2011, as the organization has been nominated for "Professional Sports League of the Year" in the 2011 Sports Business Awards.

The UFC has been nominated alongside the National Basketball Association (NBA), National Hockey League (NHL), National Football League (NFL) and Major League Soccer (MLS).

The awards were launched by the "SportsBusiness Journal" in 2008 to honor excellence in sports business, and this is the UFC's first ever nomination. Nominees were chosen by editors, writers and researchers from the "SportsBusiness Journal" and "SportsBusiness Daily", and the winners will be selected by "SportsBusiness" staff as well as a panel of judges outside of the publications.

The UFC had another record year on pay-per-view in 2010, as well as increases in attendance and revenue throughout the year. They're continuing their growth in 2011 with the merging of the WEC, the acquisition of Strikeforce, a record-smashing event upcoming in Toronto and more.

The 2011 Sports Business Awards winners will be revealed on May 18 in a ceremony at the Marriott Marquis at Time Square in New York City.

Penick's Analysis: The UFC continues to take great strides towards recognition in the mainstream, and being nominated with these professional sports leagues is a great step. While they may not ultimately win the award, they are in great company, and with the acquisition of Strikeforce will grow and expand even further this year as a business. We are still very young in the sport's history, and it's got a long way to go, but the UFC continues to make continued progress year after year in making their organization bigger across the globe.

Mark The Hammer Coleman Wes Soldier Combs  Ray Cooper  Kit Cope  Wesley Cabbage Correira 

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