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Amanda Nunes and Rose Namajunas Nominated for Best MMA Fighter at 2021 ESPY Awards


So who'd you vote for? We'll have to wait to tune in on July 10th at the 2021 ESPY Awards (short for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award) to see what could be another stellar moment in women's mma history!


Why so stellar you ask?? A panel of experts from the ESPN select nominating committee have leveled off the gender playing fields with a historical nomination going to NOT ONE but TWO women in the category of Best MMA Fighter!

I have my fingers crossed that fight fans will vote and make one of the two women the Best MMA Fighter of the year...


Those in contention are Amanda Nunes vs Rose Namajunas (now that's two obvious choices right there....lol)! Both have left fight fans speechless and audiences in awe this year with spectacular wins. Their competition for this prestigious award are two of the best of the best male fighters... recently retired champ Khabib Nurmagomedov and Francis Ngannou! This could be an all out nail biter for fight fans and enthusiasts!


Check out the stats:

FIGHTER

Rose Namajunas

Amanda Nunes

Francis Ngannou

Khabib Nurmagomedov

Nickname

"Thug"

"Lioness"

"Predator"

"Eagle"

Record

11-4-0

21-4-0

16-3-0

29-0-0

Division

Straweight

Bantam & Featherweight

Heavyweight

Lightweight

Win Streak

​

13

5

30

Wins by TK / TKO

2

13

12

8

Wins by Submission

6

​

4

11

Successful Title Defenses

1

7

​

3

Striking Accuracy

41%

52%

38%

49%

Strikes Landed

518

702

150

704

Strikes Attemped

1273

1363

395

1444

Grappling Accuracy

53%

53%

​

48%

Takedowns Landed

16

11

​

49

Takedowns Attempted

30

49

​

127

Last Fight

UFC 261

UFC 259

UFC 260

UFC 254

Opponent

Zhang Weili

Megan Anderson

Stipe Miocic

Justin Gaethje

Round

1

1

2

2

Time

1:18

2:03

0:52

1:36

Method

KO/TKO

SUB

KO/TKO

SUB

Awards

Performance of the Night

​

Performance of the Night

Performance of the Night


 

As for the award itself, this category was originally presented from 1993 till 2006 as the Best Boxer Award. It wasn't until 2007 when it evolved from being exclusively limited to boxers, to honoring the achievements of any individual regardless of gender (male or female) from the world of combat sports. Interestingly in 2008, former UFC Bantamweight Champion Holly Holm was the first female nominated for the award for her boxing accomplishments. It took another seven years before another female was nominated!


Enter Ronda Rousey....



It wasn't till 2015 when former UFC Star Ronda Rousey won the award as Best Fighter, toppling Floyd Mayweather's streak of 6 award wins. You may recall when accepting the award Rousey couldn't resist "taking Mayweather to task over his history of domestic violence against women by saying: "I wonder how he feels getting beaten by a woman for once."