World MMA Awards finalists announced

Finalists were announced Monday for the 2012 World MMA Awards, run by Fighters Only magazine.
In their fifth year, the World MMA Awards honor winners in 21 categories across the mixed martial arts world, as voted on by fans.
Women’s …

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Finalists were announced Monday for the 2012 World MMA Awards, run by Fighters Only magazine.

In their fifth year, the World MMA Awards honor winners in 21 categories across the mixed martial arts world, as voted on by fans.

Women’s star Ronda Rousey leads the pack in this year’s nominations. The Strikeforce bantamweight champion was named a finalist for four awards, including Fighter of the Year. Daniel Cormier, Nate Diaz, Ben Henderson and Jon Jones were also nominated for best fighter.

Rousey was also named a finalist for Women’s Fighter of the Year, Breakthrough Fighter of the Year, and Submission of the Year (vs. Miesha Tate).

MMAFighting.com was named finalist for MMA Media Source of the Year. And MMAFighting.com and Fuel TV reporter Ariel Helwani, winner of the last two MMA Journalist of the Year awards, looks to make it three in a row as he was again nominated for the honor.

The awards cover the period from Sept. 1, 2011, to Sept. 30, 2012. Voting ends Dec. 31. Award winners will be announced at a ceremony in Las Vegas in January, date and location TBD.

Click here to vote in the World MMA Awards.

The complete list of finalists:

Charles “Mask” Lewis Fighter of the Year

Daniel Cormier

Nate Diaz

Benson Henderson

Jon Jones

Ronda Rousey

Female Fighter of the Year

Jessica Aguilar

Sarah Kaufman

Sara McMann

Ronda Rousey

Miesha Tate

Breakthrough Fighter of the Year

Renan Barao

Michael Chandler

Luke Rockhold

Ronda Rousey

Chris Weidman

International Fighter of the Year

Michael Bisping

Alexander Gustafsson

Chan Sung Jung

Martin Kampmann

Stefan Struve

Fight of the Year

Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (UFC 139)

Michael Chandler vs. Eddie Alvarez (Bellator 58)

Jake Ellenberger vs. Diego Sanchez (UFC on FUEL TV 1)

Dustin Poirier vs. Chan Sung Jung (UFC on FUEL TV 3)

Jamie Varner vs. Joe Lauzon (UFC on FOX 4)

Knockout of the Year

Adam Khaliev vs. Alexei Belyaev (League S-70)

Edson Barboza vs. Terry Etim (UFC 142)

Stephen Thompson vs. Dan Stittgen (UFC 143)

Anthony Pettis vs. Joe Lauzon (UFC 144)

Brian Rogers vs. Vitor Vianna (Bellator 61)

Submission of the Year

Frank Mir vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (UFC 140)

Charles Oliveira vs. Eric Wisely (UFC on FOX 2)

Rousimar Palhares vs. Mike Massenzio (UFC 142)

Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha Tate (Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey)

Chan Sung Jung vs. Dustin Poirier (UFC on FUEL TV 3)

Comeback of the Year

Alan Belcher (career)

Mike Swick (career)

Frank Mir vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (UFC 140)

Tim Boetsch vs. Yushin Okami (UFC 144)

J.P. Joubert vs. Norman Wessels (EFC Africa 15)

Shawn Tompkins Coach of the Year

Rafael Cordeiro

Cesar Gracie

Greg Jackson

Javier Mendez

Andre Pederneiras

Gym of the Year

American Kickboxing Academy

Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu

Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA

Kings MMA

Nova Uniao

Referee of the Year

Herb Dean

Marc Goddard

John McCarthy

Josh Rosenthal

Mario Yamasaki

Ring Card Girl of the Year

Jade Bryce

Arianny Celeste

Kelli Hutcherson

Brittney Palmer

Mercedes Terrell

Leading Man of the Year

Victor Cui

Lorenzo Fertitta

Shannon Knapp

Bjorn Rebney

Dana White

Personality of the Year

Jon Anik

Bruce Buffer

Mauro Ranallo

Joe Rogan

Bas Rutten

Best Promotion

Bellator

Invicta FC

ONE FC

Strikeforce

UFC

Best Lifestyle Clothing Brand

Bad Boy

Dethrone

Headrush

Punishment

TapouT

Best Technical Clothing Brand

Bad Boy

Clinch Gear

Hayabusa

Jaco

Venum

Best Technical Equipment

Everlast

Fairtex

Hayabusa

Pretorian

Venum

MMA Media Source of the Year

MMAFighting.com

ESPN

“Inside MMA” on AXS TV

MMAjunkie.com

Sherdog.com

MMA Journalist of the Year

Ariel Helwani, MMAFighting.com/FUEL TV

Karyn Bryant, MMA HEAT/FUEL TV

Gareth A. Davies, The Telegraph

Ben Fowlkes, MMAjunkie.com/USA TODAY

John Morgan, MMAjunkie.com/USA TODAY