New champ Kayla Harrison tops UFC's 2025 ESPY Award nominees
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)
2023 (Best UFC Fighter)
2022 (Best MMA Fighter)
2021 (Best MMA Fighter)
2019 (Best MMA Fighter)
2018 (Best Fighter)
2017 (Best Fighter)
2016 (Best Fighter)
2015 (Best Fighter)
2014 (Best Fighter)
2013 (Best Fighter)
2012 (Best Fighter)
2011 (Best Fighter)
2010 (Best Fighter)
2009 (Best Fighter)
2008 (Best Fighter)
2007 (Best Fighter)
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