# World MMA Awards

The World MMA Awards are awards presented by Fighters Only magazine to honor exceptional performance in various aspects of mixed martial arts. Winners are presented with the Fighters Only silver statuette. The World MMA Awards are divided into over twenty categories. The first World MMA Awards ceremony was held in 2008. From their inception to the present, award winners have been chosen through online fan voting. It is the most prestigious award event in the world of MMA.

## Active award categories
### Fighters

| Year | The Charles 'Mask' Lewis Fighter of the Year | Female Fighter of the Year | Breakthrough Fighter of the Year | International Fighter of the Year |
| 2023-24 | Alex Pereira | Zhang Weili | Tom Aspinall | Dricus du Plessis |
| 2022-23 | Leon Edwards | Alexa Grasso | Alex Pereira | Leon Edwards |
| 2021-22 | Alexander Volkanovski | Valentina Shevchenko | Paddy Pimblett | Alexander Volkanovski |
| 2020-21 | Kamaru Usman | Rose Namajunas | Brandon Moreno | Israel Adesanya |
| 2019-20 | Israel Adesanya | Amanda Nunes | Jorge Masvidal | Israel Adesanya |
| 2018 | Daniel Cormier | Amanda Nunes | Israel Adesanya | Aung La Nsang |
| 2017 | Max Holloway | Rose Namajunas | Brian Ortega | Robert Whittaker |
| 2016 | Conor McGregor | Amanda Nunes | Cody Garbrandt | Khabib Nurmagomedov |
| 2015 | Conor McGregor | Holly Holm | Holly Holm | Conor McGregor |
| 2014 | Robbie Lawler | Ronda Rousey | Kelvin Gastelum | Conor McGregor |
| 2013 | Chris Weidman | Ronda Rousey | Travis Browne | Alexander Gustafsson |
| 2012 | Jon Jones | Ronda Rousey | Chris Weidman | Michael Bisping |
| 2011 | Jon Jones | Miesha Tate | Donald Cerrone | Alistair Overeem |
| 2010 | José Aldo | Cris Cyborg | Jon Jones | Alistair Overeem |
| 2009 | Georges St-Pierre | Cris Cyborg | Brock Lesnar | Gegard Mousasi |
| 2008 | Anderson Silva | Gina Carano | Demian Maia | Michael Bisping |
* From 2010, Fighter of the Year was awarded as The Charles 'Mask' Lewis Fighter of the Year in commemoration of Tapout co-founder Charles Lewis Jr.
* From 2010, European Fighter of the Year was awarded as International Fighter of the Year, to the leading MMA fighter from outside of the Americas.

### Fight of the Year

| Year | Winner | Defeated | Method, Round | Event |
| 2023-24 | Max Holloway | Justin Gaethje | KO, 5 | UFC 300 |
| 2022-23 | Islam Makhachev | Alexander Volkanovski | UD, 5 | UFC 284 |
| 2021-22 | Jiří Procházka | Glover Teixeira | Sub, 5 | UFC 275 |
| 2020-21 | Deiveson Figueiredo | Brandon Moreno | M Draw, 5 | UFC 256 |
| 2019-20 | Weili Zhang | Joanna Jędrzejczyk | SD, 5 | UFC 248 |
| 2018 | Tony Ferguson | Anthony Pettis | TKO, 2 | UFC 229 |
| 2017 | Eddie Alvarez | Justin Gaethje | KO, 3 | UFC 218 |
| 2016 | Cub Swanson | Doo Ho Choi | UD, 3 | UFC 206 |
| 2015 | Robbie Lawler | Rory MacDonald | TKO, 5 | UFC 189 |
| 2014 | José Aldo | Chad Mendes | UD, 5 | UFC 179 |
| 2013 | Jon Jones | Alexander Gustafsson | UD, 5 | UFC 165 |
| 2012 | Joe Lauzon | Jamie Varner | Sub, 3 | UFC on Fox: Shogun vs. Vera |
| 2011 | Frankie Edgar | Gray Maynard | S Draw, 5 | UFC 125 |
| 2010 | Anderson Silva | Chael Sonnen | Sub, 5 | UFC 117 |
| 2009 | Diego Sanchez | Clay Guida | SD, 3 | The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom Finale |
| 2008 | Chuck Liddell | Wanderlei Silva | UD, 3 | UFC 79 |

### Knockout of the Year

| Year | Winner | Knocked out | Method, Round | Event |
| 2023-24 | Max Holloway | Justin Gaethje | KO, 5 | UFC 300 |
| 2022-23 | Leon Edwards | Kamaru Usman | KO, 5 | UFC 278 |
| 2021-22 | Michael Chandler | Tony Ferguson | KO, 2 | UFC 274 |
| 2020-21 | Joaquin Buckley | Impa Kasanganay | KO, 2 | UFC Fight Night: Moraes vs. Sandhagen |
| 2019-20 | Jorge Masvidal | Ben Askren | KO, 1 | UFC 239 |
| 2018 | Amanda Nunes | Cris Cyborg | KO, 1 | UFC 232 |
| 2017 | Francis Ngannou | Alistair Overeem | KO, 1 | UFC 218 |
| 2016 | Michael Page | Evangelista Santos | KO, 2 | Bellator 158 |
| 2015 | Holly Holm | Ronda Rousey | KO, 2 | UFC 193 |
| 2014 | Mark Hunt | Roy Nelson | KO, 2 | UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Nelson |
| 2013 | Vitor Belfort | Luke Rockhold | KO, 1 | UFC on FX: Belfort vs. Rockhold |
| 2012 | Edson Barboza | Terry Etim | KO, 3 | UFC 142 |
| 2011 | Anderson Silva | Vitor Belfort | KO, 1 | UFC 126 |
| 2010 | Maurício Rua | Lyoto Machida | KO, 1 | UFC 113 |
| 2009 | Dan Henderson | Michael Bisping | KO, 2 | UFC 100 |
| 2008 | Wanderlei Silva | Keith Jardine | KO, 1 | UFC 84 |

### Submission of the Year

| Year | Winner | Submitted | Method, Round | Event |
| 2023-24 | Diego Lopes | Gavin Tucker | Armbar, 1 | UFC on ESPN: Sandhagen vs. Font |
| 2022-23 | Alexa Grasso | Valentina Shevchenko | Face crank, 4 | UFC 285 |
| 2021-22 | Charles Oliveira | Dustin Poirier | Rear-naked choke, 3 | UFC 269 |
| 2020-21 | Khabib Nurmagomedov | Justin Gaethje | Triangle choke, 2 | UFC 254 |
| 2019-20 | Demian Maia | Ben Askren | Rear-naked choke, 3 | UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Askren |
| 2018 | Zabit Magomedsharipov | Brandon Davis | Suloev stretch, 2 | UFC 228 |
| 2017 | Demetrious Johnson | Ray Borg | Armbar, 5 | UFC 216 |
| 2016 | Nate Diaz | Conor McGregor | Rear-naked choke, 2 | UFC 196 |
| 2015 | Ronda Rousey | Cat Zingano | Straight armbar, 1 | UFC 184 |
| 2014 | Ben Saunders | Chris Heatherly | Omoplata, 1 | UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. dos Anjos |
| 2013 | Urijah Faber | Ivan Menjivar | Rear-naked choke, 1 | UFC 157 |
| 2012 | Frank Mir | Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira | Kimura, 1 | UFC 140 |
| 2011 | Chan Sung Jung | Leonard Garcia | Twister, 2 | UFC Fight Night: Nogueira vs. Davis |
| 2010 | Fabrício Werdum | Fedor Emelianenko | Triangle armbar, 1 | Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum |
| 2009 | Toby Imada | Jorge Masvidal | Inverted triangle choke, 3 | Bellator 5 |
| 2008 | Georges St-Pierre | Matt Hughes | Armbar, 2 | UFC 79 |

### Comeback of the Year

| Year | Winner | vs. | Method, Round | Event |
| 2023-24 | Tom Aspinall | "Career" | — | — |
| 2022-23 | Leon Edwards | Kamaru Usman | KO, 5 | UFC 278 |
| 2021-22 | Aljamain Sterling | "Ridicule and Injury" | — | — |
| 2020-21 | Charles Oliveira | Michael Chandler | TKO, 2 | UFC 262 |
| 2019-20 | Stipe Miocic | Daniel Cormier | TKO, 4 | UFC 241 |
| 2018 | Angela Lee | Mei Yamaguchi | UD, 5 | Car accident, ONE FC 71 |
| 2017 | Justin Gaethje | Michael Johnson | TKO, 2 | The Ultimate Fighter: Redemption Finale |
| 2016 | Miesha Tate | Holly Holm | Sub, 5 | UFC 196 |
| 2015 | Eddie Alvarez | Gilbert Melendez | SD, 3 | UFC 188 |
| 2014 | Dominick Cruz | "Career" | — | — |
| 2013 | Travis Browne | Alistair Overeem | KO, 1 | UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen |
| 2012 | Frank Mir | Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira | Sub, 1 | UFC 140 |
| 2011 | Cheick Kongo | Pat Barry | KO, 1 | UFC Live: Kongo vs. Barry |

### Upset of the Year

| Year | Winner | Defeated | Method, Round | Event |
| 2023-24 | Sean Strickland | Israel Adesanya | UD, 5 | UFC 293 |
| 2022-23 | Alexa Grasso | Valentina Shevchenko | Sub, 4 | UFC 285 |
| 2021-22 | Julianna Peña | Amanda Nunes | Sub, 2 | UFC 269 |
| 2020-21 | Adriano Moraes | Demetrious Johnson | KO, 2 | ONE on TNT 1 |
| 2019-20 | Alexander Volkanovski | Max Holloway | UD, 5 | UFC 245 |
| 2018 | Amanda Nunes | Cris Cyborg | KO, 1 | UFC 232 |
| 2017 | Rose Namajunas | Joanna Jędrzejczyk | TKO, 1 | UFC 217 |
| 2016 | Michael Bisping | Luke Rockhold | KO, 1 | UFC 199 |
| 2015 | Holly Holm | Ronda Rousey | KO, 2 | UFC 193 |
| 2014 | TJ Dillashaw | Renan Barao | TKO, 5 | UFC 173 |

### Training, In-ring

| Year | The Shawn Tompkins Coach of the Year | Gym of the Year | Trainer of the Year | Referee of the Year | Ring-card Girl of the Year |
| 2023-24 | Plinio Cruz | The Fighting Nerds | Ian Larios | Herb Dean | Luciana Andrade |
| 2022-23 | Mike Brown | American Top Team | Dr. Heather Linden | Herb Dean | Brittney Palmer |
| 2021-22 | Eugene Bareman | City Kickboxing | Dr. Heather Linden | Marc Goddard | Brittney Palmer |
| 2020-21 | Trevor Wittman | American Top Team | Phil Daru | Herb Dean | Brittney Palmer |
| 2019-20 | Trevor Wittman | American Top Team | Phil Daru | Herb Dean | Brittney Palmer |
| 2018 | Mike Brown | American Top Team | Nick Curson | Herb Dean | Jhenny Andrade |
| 2017 | Trevor Wittman | American Top Team | Nick Curson | John McCarthy | Jhenny Andrade |
| 2016 | John Kavanagh | American Top Team | Mike Dolce | John McCarthy | Jhenny Andrade |
| 2015 | Rafael Cordeiro | Jackson-Wink MMA Academy | Mike Dolce | John McCarthy | Arianny Celeste |
| 2014 | Duane Ludwig | Team Alpha Male | Mike Dolce | Herb Dean | Arianny Celeste |
| 2013 | Duane Ludwig | Team Alpha Male | Mike Dolce | Herb Dean | Brittney Palmer |
| 2012 | Rafael Cordeiro | Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu | — | Herb Dean | Brittney Palmer |
| 2011 | Greg Jackson | Black House | — | Herb Dean | Arianny Celeste |
| 2010 | Greg Jackson | Wand Fight Team | — | Herb Dean | Arianny Celeste |
| 2009 | Greg Jackson | Greg Jackson's Submission Fighting | — | — | Arianny Celeste |
| 2008 | — | — | — | — | Arianny Celeste |
* From 2012, Coach of the Year was awarded as The Shawn Tompkins Coach of the Year in commemoration of trainer Shawn Tompkins.

### Promotion

| Year | Leading Man | Personality of the Year | Analyst of the Year | Best Promotion |
| 2023-24 | Dana White | Nina-Marie Danielle | Michael Bisping | UFC |
| 2022-23 | Dana White | Joe Rogan | Michael Bisping | UFC |
| 2021-22 | Dana White | Joe Rogan | Michael Bisping | UFC |
| 2020-21 | Dana White | Daniel Cormier | Michael Bisping | UFC |
| 2019-20 | Dana White | Joe Rogan | Daniel Cormier | UFC |
| 2018 | Dana White | Joe Rogan | Daniel Cormier | UFC |
| 2017 | Dana White | Joe Rogan | Dominick Cruz | UFC |
| 2016 | Dana White | Joe Rogan | Dominick Cruz | UFC |
| 2015 | Dana White | Joe Rogan | Dominick Cruz | UFC |
| 2014 | Dana White | Joe Rogan | — | UFC |
| 2013 | Dana White | Chael Sonnen | — | UFC |
| 2012 | Dana White | Joe Rogan | — | UFC |
| 2011 | Dana White | Joe Rogan | — | UFC |
| 2010 | Dana White | Joe Rogan | — | UFC |
| 2009 | Dana White | — | — | UFC |
| 2008 | Dana White | — | — | UFC |

### Media

| Year | Media Source of the Year | Journalist of the Year | Best MMA Programming |
| 2023-24 | ESPN MMA | Ariel Helwani | Dana White's Contender Series |
| 2022-23 | ESPN MMA | Ariel Helwani | Dana White's Contender Series |
| 2021-22 | ESPN MMA | Ariel Helwani | Morning Kombat |
| 2020-21 | ESPN MMA | Ariel Helwani | Morning Kombat |
| 2019-20 | ESPN MMA | Ariel Helwani | JRE MMA Podcast |
| 2018 | MMA Fighting | Ariel Helwani | The Ultimate Fighter |
| 2017 | MMA Fighting | Ariel Helwani | The Ultimate Fighter |
| 2016 | MMA Fighting | Ariel Helwani | The Ultimate Fighter |
| 2015 | MMA Fighting | Ariel Helwani | UFC Embedded |
| 2014 | MMAjunkie.com | Ariel Helwani | — |
| 2013 | MMA Fighting | Ariel Helwani | — |
| 2012 | Sherdog | Ariel Helwani | — |
| 2011 | MMAjunkie.com | Ariel Helwani | — |
| 2010 | MMAjunkie.com | Ariel Helwani | — |
| 2009 | MMAjunkie.com | John Morgan | — |
| 2008 | MMAjunkie.com | — | — |
* From 2010, Best Media Coverage was awarded as Media Source of the Year.

### Special Achievement

| Year | Lifetime Achievement Award | Fighting Spirit of the Year |
| 2023-24 | Mark Coleman | Mark Coleman (Bravery - fearlessly rescuing family and loved ones from a burning building) |
| 2022-23 | Ken Shamrock | Themba Gorimbo (Charity – building a water pump in Zimbabwe and putting others ahead of himself) |
| 2021-22 | Kirik Jenness | Kevin Holland (Bravery - in and out of the cage, helping his community in the face of danger on several occasions) |
| 2020-21 | Matt Hughes | Brandon Moreno (Perseverance - from being cut, to fighting back and becoming the first Mexican UFC champion) |
| 2019-20 | Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov | Dustin Poirier (Charity - Good Fight Foundation) |
| 2018 | Wanderlei Silva | — |
| 2017 | John McCarthy | — |
| 2016 | Tito Ortiz | — |
| 2015 | Bruce Buffer | — |
| 2014 | Burt Watson | — |
| 2013 | Royce Gracie | — |
| 2012 | Leon Tabbs | — |
| 2011 | Shawn Tompkins | — |
| 2010 | Randy Couture | — |
| 2009 | Charles Lewis, Jr. | — |
| 2008 | John McCarthy | — |

## Defunct award categories
### MMA Clothing & Equipment Brand of the Year

* 2015 Bad Boy
* 2016 Venum
* 2017 Reebok
* 2018 Reebok

### Best MMA Brand

* 2008 Ultimate Fighting Championship
* 2009 TapouT

### Most Memorable Ring Entrance

* 2010 Jason Miller
* 2011 Jason Miller

### Best Lifestyle Clothing Brand

Best Overall Clothing.
* 2008 TapouT
Best MMA Clothing.
* 2009 TapouT
Best Lifestyle Clothing Brand.
* 2010 TapouT
* 2011 TapouT
* 2012 Bad Boy
* 2013 Bad Boy
* 2014 Bad Boy

### Best Technical Clothing Brand
#### Best MMA Shorts.

* 2008 Sprawl
* 2009 TapouT

#### Best Technical Clothing Brand.

* 2010 Bad Boy
* 2011 Bad Boy
* 2012 Clinch Gear
* 2013 Venum
* 2014 Venum

### Best Technical Equipment

Best MMA Gloves.
* 2008 Fairtex
* 2009 UFC / Century
Best Technical Equipment.
* 2010 Everlast
* 2011 Everlast
* 2012 Pretorian
* 2013 Bad Boy
* 2014 Everlast