Islam Makhachev relinquished his UFC lightweight title. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/UFC India
The UFC has consolidated its dominance in the Best Fighter award at the ESPY Awards, with ESPN announcing the four finalists in the category exclusive to the sport: Kayla Harrison , Islam Makhachev , Merab Dvalishvili , and Dricus du Plessis . The ceremony, scheduled for July 16 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles (USA), crowns the athlete with the best performance during the analyzed period, based on popular vote.
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For the third consecutive edition, the award adopted the nomenclature 'Best UFC Fighter', replacing the old title 'Best MMA Fighter' to restrict nominations to athletes from the promotion – without representatives from other organizations or Brazilians.
No Brazilian is among the finalists, an unprecedented fact since 2021, when Charles do Bronx won the award. Athletes such as Alex Poatan and Alexandre Pantoja were also not nominated.
'Best Fighter' Voting Has Undergone Changes Over UFC
The mixed martial arts category at the ESPY Awards has undergone structural transformations since its creation. Between 2007 and 2018, MMA and boxing fighters competed in the same group ('Best Fighter'). Only in 2019 did MMA win an independent trophy, initially named 'Best MMA Fighter'.
However, starting in 2023, ESPN rebranded the award as 'Best UFC Fighter', in accordance with its commercial partnership with the company. This adjustment is reflected in the nominations: since 2022, all nominees belong to the organization, with the exception of Kayla Harrison (then in the PFL), who was nominated that year.
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