The UFC has always been about its fighters, until it’s not. As we lead up to UFC 314, it wasn’t a face-off, a knockout, or a rivalry that has caught attention. It was something far more unexpected. A Forbes magazine. Nina Marie Daniele, the UFC interviewer known for her playful fighter interactions, arrived in Miami for fight week and was ecstatic about the fact that Dana White had landed himself on the cover of a February issue of Forbes.

“I just landed in Miami for UFC 314, and the first person I see…” she said, waving the magazine with White’s face front and center. “How cool is this?” For longtime fans of the sport, it was surreal. UFC’s early days were riddled with skepticism, backlash, and financial uncertainty. Now, its president was being celebrated in Forbes as a top-tier business mogul. It wasn’t just a sign of White’s personal success but rather a powerful statement about where the UFC has arrived.

Daniele wasn’t just admiring the moment. She had one request and it might be the first of its kind. Fighters have signed posters, gloves, and even championship belts. But when was the last time someone asked Dana White for an autograph? “Cover of Forbes, this is f***** awesome!” Daniele said, holding up the magazine. “Congratulations, Dana. Congratulations on your new partnership with Meta… and you need to sign this for me.”

The February article from Forbes titled Populist Capitalist: How The UFC’s Dana White Epitomizes Business In The Trump Era perfectly captures White’s Godman aura in the UFC and the role he played in Donald Trump winning the US Presidential Elections last year. Trump is becoming a common sight at UFC events in the US, walking out to the tune of ‘American Bada–‘ with White. Speaking of the election campaigns, White is quoted in the article saying, “If we took all of that out—the walkouts at the UFC, all the stuff he did with all the influencers and he’s only on Fox for the last however many years, there’s no way we win this election.”

Forbes also touched upon White’s ruthless business acumen, with confessions from Lorenzo Fertitta and Ari Emanuel among others.  The UFC’s standing in the US sports landscape, their upcoming media deal and the projected figures, their journey from being the outcast sport to mainstream weekend entertainment were all discussed. But what was most impressive, was the Meta connection that Nina Marie Daniele also mentioned.

The bigger picture: UFC’s next frontier

Daniele casually slipped the Meta deal into her celebration, but the reality is that this partnership is far bigger than a passing mention. The UFC’s new multi-year agreement with Meta cements Mark Zuckerberg’s company as its first Official Fan Technology Partner. What does that mean? Everything about how fans experience fights is about to change.

The most groundbreaking shift comes with Meta’s AI-powered smart glasses, which will allow fans to see UFC fights in an entirely new way. Imagine looking at a fighter and instantly seeing real-time data overlays, strike counts, and tactical breakdowns all through the glasses. No need to check your phone or wait for the broadcast. It’s all there, happening live.

Then there’s Meta Quest, the VR experience. The UFC has already experimented with virtual reality, but this partnership is expected to take it to an entirely new level. VR cageside seats could become a reality, allowing fans across the world to experience the fights as if they were actually there. Beyond the tech, Meta’s social platforms, including Threads, will become UFC’s official fan engagement space, replacing X (formerly Twitter) as the primary hub for fighter interactions and exclusive content. The partnership signals a massive shift in how the UFC intends to market itself in the future.

Daniele’s moment in Miami during the lead-up to UFC 314 wasn’t just about Forbes and neither was it just about Dana White. It was about what the UFC has become. From an organization that once had to fight for legitimacy to one that is now partnering with tech giants and reshaping fan engagement, the UFC is no longer just a fight promotion. It’s a sports empire evolving in real time. White’s Forbes cover is a symbol of how far the UFC has come. The Meta deal? That’s a sign of where it’s going next.