UFC`s newest bantamweight champion, Kayla Harrison, has offered a surprising choice for this year`s `Best UFC Fighter` ESPY award. Despite being one of the nominees herself, Harrison believes another fighter who wasn`t even listed is the rightful winner.
Harrison has had a standout year in the cage, culminating in her securing a UFC title. The two-time Olympic judo gold medalist made an impressive debut by submitting Holly Holm, followed by a tough decision win against Ketlen Vieira in October. This victory led to a title shot, where Harrison defeated Julianna Pena via kimura submission at UFC 316 to claim the bantamweight championship.
Her strong performances earned Harrison a nomination for the prestigious ESPY award, placing her among a select group of four athletes. However, the reigning champion is publicly supporting a teammate from American Top Team who was seemingly overlooked for the nomination.
Harrison Endorses Alexandre Pantoja for ESPY Honor
The other nominees for the 2025 ESPY award include former lightweight king Islam Makhachev, current middleweight titleholder Dricus du Plessis, and bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili.
Following the announcement of the nominees, ESPN MMA`s social media account polled fans for their opinions. One of the nominated fighters, Harrison, quickly chimed in with her pick, selecting someone outside the official list.
While some fans suggested Ilia Topuria`s absence was notable, Harrison specifically pointed to her fellow American Top Team champion, Alexandre Pantoja, stating simply, “My vote is for Pantoja.”
Pantoja, nicknamed `The Cannibal`, recently defended his flyweight title for the fourth time by submitting Kai Kara-France at UFC 317 in Las Vegas.
A Look Back at Past ESPY Winners
The eventual winner of this year`s award on July 16 will join an impressive list of former recipients. In recent years, notable winners have included Sean O’Malley (2024), Jon Jones (2023), Charles Oliveira (2022), and Khabib Nurmagomedov (2021).
MMA first received its own dedicated ESPY category in 2020, having previously shared a `best fighter` award with boxing. Daniel Cormier was the inaugural winner of the MMA-specific award.
Even before the creation of the MMA-only category, UFC stars managed to break through against boxing dominance, with fighters like Demetrious Johnson, Conor McGregor, and Ronda Rousey earning the award, interrupting streaks held by figures such as Floyd Mayweather Jr.
