Justin Gaethje’s spectacular year keeps rolling on.
In January, Gaethje became the first-ever two-time interim UFC champion when he thumped Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324 to claim the interim belt. Then, earlier this month, Gaethje finally won undisputed UFC gold, thrashing Ilia Topuria in their unification bout at UFC White House in one of the biggest upsets in UFC history. It’s the crowning achievement of a Hall of Fame career, and for his sensational run, Gaethje was nominated for the 2026 Fighter of the Year ESPY, when the nominations were announced on Thursday.
Starting in 2019, the ESPYs gave out an award for Best MMA Fighter, with luminaries such as Daniel Cormier, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Jon Jones all winning the award. However, in 2026, it appears that the ESPYs consolidated the MMA award with its Best Boxer award, honoring just one person for Best Fighter. Gaethje is the only MMA fighter to be nominated this year, joining Terence Crawford, Gabriela Fundora, and Claressa Shields from boxing.
The ESPYs will air live from the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, with voting taking place until July 15.
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