The World MMA Awards 2024 nominees have been announced.
MMA Fighting has been nominated for MMA Media Source of the Year, an award that the outlet has won five times. Ariel Helwani has both been nominated for MMA Journalist of the Year, an award he was won 14 times. Meanwhile, Helwani’s popular The MMA Hour program has been nominated for Best MMA Programming.
You can vote now here. Voting will conclude on Sept. 30. The venue and date for the award ceremony will be announced shortly.
Here are your nominees for the 16th Annual Fighters Only (nomination period spanned from July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024):
Charles Lewis Fighter of the Year
Female Fighter of the Year
Breakthrough Fighter of the Year
International Fighter of the Year
Chihiro Suzuki
Dricus du Plessis
Zhang Weili
Fight of the Year
Alexandre Pantoja vs. Brandon Moreno (UFC 290)
Clay Collard vs. Shane Burgos (PFL 9)
Dan Hooker vs. Jalin Turner (UFC 290)
Dustin Poirier vs. Benoit Saint Denis (UFC 299)
Max Holloway vs. Justin Gaethje (UFC 300)
Knockout of the Year
Josh Emmett vs. Bryce Mitchell – Overhand Right (UFC 296)
Justin Gaethje vs. Dustin Poirier – Head Kick (UFC 291)
Levy Carriel vs. Mathieu Rakotondrazanany – Head Kick (Brave CF 74)
Max Holloway vs. Justin Gaethje – Overhand Right (UFC 300)
Vinicius Oliveira vs. Bernardo Sopaj – Flying Knee (UFC Vegas 87)
Submission of the Year
Alexander Volkov vs. Tai Tuivasa – Ezekiel Choke (UFC 293)
Brian Ortega vs. Yair Rodriguez – Arm-Triangle Choke (UFC Mexico City)
Da’Mon Blackshear vs. Jose Johnson – Twister (UFC Vegas 78)
Diego Lopes vs. Gavin Tucker – Triangle Armbar (UFC Nashvillle)
Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier – D’Arce Choke (UFC 302)
Comeback of the Year
Brian Ortega vs. Yair Rodriguez (UFC Mexico City)
Elves Brener vs. Guram Kutateladze (UFC Vegas 76)
Jose Aldo (career)
Rodolfo Bellato vs. Ihor Potieria (UFC Austin)
Tom Aspinall (career)
Upset of the Year
Dricus du Plessis vs. Robert Whittaker (UFC 290)
Jason Jackson vs. Yaroslav Amosov (Bellator 301)
Neil Magny vs. Mike Malott (UFC 297)
Ovince Saint Preux vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu (UFC Vegas 88)
Sean Strickland vs. Israel Adesanya (UFC 293)
Commentator of the Year
Brendan Fitzgerald
John Gooden
Analyst of the Year
Sayif Saud
Shawn Tompkins Coach of the Year
Eric Nicksick
Francisco Grasso
Marcos ‘Parrumpa’ DaMatta
Trainer of the Year
Everton Oliveira
Heather Linden
Ian Larios
Jordan Sullivan
Phil Daru
Gym of the Year
American Kickboxing Academy
American Top Team
Lobo Gym
The Fighting Nerds
Xtreme Couture
Referee of the Year
Marc Goddard
Jason Herzog
Mark Smith
Herb Dean
Keith Peterson
Ringcard Girl of the Year
Holly Barker
Brookliyn Wren
Kasia Motloch Kejsi
Luciana Andrade
Red Dela Cruz
Leading Man
Dana White (UFC)
Ed Soares (LFA)
Graham Borlan (Cage Warriors)
Martin Lewandowski (KSW)
Peter Murray (PFL)
Best Promotion
UFC
Oktagon
LFA
KSW
PFL
Personality of the Year
Bruce Buffer
Nina-Marie Danielle
Best MMA Programming
Morning Kombat
The MMA Hour
Dana White’s Contender Series
The Anik & Florian Podcast
UFC Embedded
MMA Media Source of the Year
MMA Fighting
Sherdog
MMA Junkie
ESPN
The Mac Life
MMA Journalist of the Year
Ariel Helwani
Aaron Bronsteter
Oscar Willis
Carlos Contreras Legaspi
Nolan King
Fighting Spirit Award
Gabriel Braga (Heart – strength to overcome the loss of his father and coach)
Leon Edwards (Composure – strength during disgusting mental antics by an opponent)
Jim Miller (Endurance – the only fighter to compete at UFC 100, UFC 200, and UFC 300)
Mark Coleman (Bravery – fearlessly rescuing family and loved ones from a burning building)
Thomas Paull (Resilience – successfully competing in MMA despite being deaf)