ESPN’s “ESPY Awards” has split the “Best Fighter” category for 2019, giving combat sports fans the opportunity to vote for the year’s top boxer, as well as the year’s best mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter.
I’m sure signing a massive UFC deal had something to do with the change, so don’t be shocked to see a category that doesn’t include any talent from Bellator MMA or ONE Championship. That’s what the World MMA Awards are for, I guess.
Here are the “Best Fighter” nominees for 2019 in both categories:
Best Boxer:
Canelo Alvarez (middleweight champion)
Vasily Lomachenko (lightweight champion)
Oleksandr Usyk (cruiserweight champion)
Terence Crawford (welterweight champion)
Best MMA Fighter:
Israel Adesanya (Interim UFC middleweight champion)
Daniel Cormier (UFC heavyweight champion)
Henry Cejudo (UFC flyweight, bantamweight champion)
Amanda Nunes (UFC women’s featherweight champion)
Previous winners include Ronda Rousey (2015), Conor McGregor (2016), and Demetrious Johnson (2017).
The ESPY’s, hosted by comedian Tracy Morgan, will air on July 10 on ABC. For what it’s worth, you can also vote on “Best WWE Moment.”
Click here to vote.