For the UFC Honors President’s Choice Awards, Dana White selects the “Performance of the Year” and “Fight of the Year” each year. The promotion hosted some amazing fights in 2022, which helped the promotion’s athletes reach new heights of proficiency and fueled the rise of the world’s largest MMA organisation.
A lot of riveting fights riveted fight fans in 2022, including Matt Schnell’s remarkable comeback victory against Sumudaerji and Dustin Poirier’s back-and-forth struggle with Michael Chandler, which resulted in ‘The Diamond’ winning through third-round submission.
Dana White selected the three-round, back-and-forth struggle between Khamzat Chimaev and Gilbert Burns at UFC 273 as the “Fight of the Year” despite having a plethora of worthy nominees to choose from.
Heidl Androl, an American sports reporter on television, declared the winner by saying:
“In 2022, there were a lot of exciting contests, but there could only be one victor. It gives me the utmost honour to say that Gilbert Burns vs. Khamzat Chimaev is the winner this year.”
Gilbert Burns expressed his response to the news in a video message, saying:
“I just learned that my battle won UFC honours. One of the best battles I ever had was with Khamzat Chimaev, and it won me UFC recognition. Thus, I’m overjoyed! Thank you UFC; I adore your business. I appreciate your support and will remain here.”
Khamzat Chimaev thanked the UFC president and his devoted followers in a letter for acknowledging his valiant victory over Burns:
Gratitude to Dana White. Thanks to my supporters, I’ll be taking the belt in 2023.
The ‘Performance of the Year’ award was given to UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili for her KO triumph over Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 275.
What did Dana White say about the slapping incident with his wife on New Year’s Eve?
At the start of the year, Dana White attracted negative media attention for all the wrong reasons. White made headlines for hitting his wife on New Year’s Eve while inebriated in Mexico.
Now that the UFC has made several significant announcements, including the return of Jon Jones, the organization’s two-time light heavyweight champion, the president can finally relax.
However, White said that his reputation had been irrevocably damaged at his first public outing following the awful physical altercation. Prior to UFC Vegas 67, White stated to the media:
“For as long as I live, I’ll have to move around, and this is how I’m currently identified. My second punishment is that many individuals who once respected me—whether they were in the media, among my opponents, among my friends, or among my acquaintances—might no longer do so.”