Nominees for the latest ESPY Awards were announced this past week, and once again MMA will be part of the ceremony.
Starting in 2007, ESPN’s annual awards show gave out a Best Fighter award, and MMA fighters were grouped with boxers to compete for the prize. In 2019, MMA got its own category, and the past three awards cycles, there’s been no pretending. The award, presented by the UFC’s current U.S. broadcast partner, is called “Best UFC Fighter” these days and not “Best MMA Fighter.”
This year, the nominees for that spot go to new women’s bantamweight champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison, bantamweight champ Merab Dvalishvili, former lightweight champ Islam Makhachev and middleweight titleholder Dricus du Plessis.
On the boxing side, the nominees are Katie Taylor, Claressa Shields, Naoya Inoue and Oleksandr Usyk.
Take a look at the past ESPY awards for MMA and boxing below.
2024 (Best UFC Fighter)
- SEAN O’MALLEY
- Alex Pereira
- Islam Makhachev
- Zhang Weili
2023 (Best UFC Fighter)
- JON JONES
- Leon Edwards
- Islam Makhachev
- Amanda Nunes
2022 (Best MMA Fighter)
- CHARLES OLIVEIRA
- Kayla Harrison
- Kamaru Usman
- Alexander Volkanovski
2021 (Best MMA Fighter)
- KHABIB NURMAGOMEDOV
- Rose Namajunas
- Francis Ngannou
- Amanda Nunes
2019 (Best MMA Fighter)
- DANIEL CORMIER
- Israel Adesanya
- Henry Cejudo
- Amanda Nunes
2018 (Best Fighter)
- TERENCE CRAWFORD, Boxing
- Vasyl Lomachenko, Boxing
- Rose Namajunas, MMA
- Georges St-Pierre, MMA
2017 (Best Fighter)
- DEMETRIOUS JOHNSON, MMA
- Terence Crawford, Boxing
- Gennady Golovkin, Boxing
- Conor McGregor, MMA
- Andre Ward, Boxing
2016 (Best Fighter)
- CONOR MCGREGOR, UFC
- Gennady Golovkin, WBC
- Canelo Álvarez, WBC
- Robbie Lawler, UFC
- Román González, WBA
2015 (Best Fighter)
- RONDA ROUSEY, MMA (Also won Best Female Athlete)
- Donald Cerrone, MMA
- Terence Crawford, Boxing
- Gennady Golovkin, Boxing
- Floyd Mayweather Jr., Boxing
2014 (Best Fighter)
- FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR., Boxing
- Jon Jones – MMA
- Manny Pacquiao – Boxing
- Ronda Rousey – MMA (Won Best Female Athelte)
- Andre Ward – Boxing
2013 (Best Fighter)
- FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR., Boxing
- Canelo Alvarez, Boxing
- Danny Garcia, Boxing
- Jon Jones, MMA
- Anderson Silva, MMA
2012 (Best Fighter)
- FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR., Boxing
- Jon Jones, MMA
- Anderson Silva, MMA
- Andre Ward, Boxing
2011 (Best Fighter)
- MANNY PACQUIAO, Boxing
- Bernard Hopkins, Boxing
- Jon Jones, MMA
- Sergio Martínez, Boxing
- Georges St-Pierre, MMA
2010 (Best Fighter)
- FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR., Boxing
- Manny Pacquiao, Boxing
- Georges St-Pierre, MMA
2009 (Best Fighter)
- MANNY PACQUIAO, Boxing
- Lyoto Machida, MMA
- Shane Mosley, Boxing
- Anderson Silva, MMA
2008 (Best Fighter)
- FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR., Boxing
- Joe Calzaghe, Boxing
- Holly Holm, Boxing (pre-MMA career)
- Kelly Pavlik, Boxing
- Georges St-Pierre, MMA
2007 (Best Fighter)
- FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR., Boxing
- Miguel Cotto, Boxing
- Randy Couture, MMA
- Quinton Jackson, MMA
- Manny Pacquiao, Boxing
