
via Imago
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA – MAY 09: Francis Ngannou of Cameroon prepares to fight Jairzinho Rozenstruik of Suriname in their heavyweight fight during the UFC 249 event at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on May 09, 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

via Imago
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA – MAY 09: Francis Ngannou of Cameroon prepares to fight Jairzinho Rozenstruik of Suriname in their heavyweight fight during the UFC 249 event at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on May 09, 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Francis Ngannou has officially entered as a nominee at the ESPYS for the best MMA fighter. His name has been listed alongside three other greats who are Khabib Nurmagomedov, Amanda Nunes, and Rose Namajunas. Except for the retired fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov, every nominee is a current UFC champion in their respective division.
While Namajunas is the women’s strawweight champion, Nunes is the women’s double champion, ruling the bantamweight and featherweight divisions. Ngannou sits at the top of the food chain as a heavyweight champion. Although all the four nominees were announced earlier this month, the news took a while to reach ‘The Predator’.
Nice dance moves, @francis_ngannou, and congrats on your @ESPYS nomination for Best MMA Fighter 👏
(via @bokamotoESPN, @Marquel_Martin) pic.twitter.com/EkgOSAK6bV
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) June 23, 2021
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Ngannou’s manager, Marquel Martin, broke the news to him. After getting the good news, ‘The Predator’ celebrated by showing off his unique dance moves.
Francis Ngannou a deserving nominee
Ngannou shocked the world when he defeated the former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic at UFC 260. This feat was incredible as Miocic, based on his numbers, was the UFC’s most dominant heavyweight champion.
However, the accolades were brushed aside as ‘The Predator’ knocked out Miocic in the second round. Therefore, this is the reason Francis Ngannou is one of the most deserving candidate on the list.

via Getty
PHOENIX, ARIZONA – FEBRUARY 17: Francis Ngannou of Cameroon celebrates his KO victory over Cain Velasquez in their heavyweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at Talking Stick Resort Arena on February 17, 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Fans can vote for their favorite nominee by visiting www.espn.in/espys.
ESPYS awards were first awarded back in 1993, it stands for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award. This year awards will get televised on ABC on July 10 at 8 p.m. ET.
Some other classes and nominees
Best Boxer
- Canelo Álvarez
- Teófimo López
- Claressa Shields
- Tyson Fury
Best Athlete Men’s Tennis
- Dominic Thiem
- Novak Djokovic
- Daniil Medvedev
- Rafael Nadal
Watch this story: Top 5 UFC Hype Trains That Didn’t Last Long
Best MLS player
- Alejandro Pozuelo, Toronto FC
- Diego Rossi, Los Angeles FC
- Andre Blake, Philadelphia Union
- Lucas Zelarayán, Columbus Crew
Best Athlete in disability in women’s sport
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
- Sam Bosco, Cycling
- Oksana Masters, Nordic & Cycling
- Becca Murray, Wheelchair Basketball
- Leanne Smith, Swimming
Best Athlete women’s sport
- Naomi Osaka, Tennis
- Simone Biles, Gymnastics
- Amanda Nunes, UFC
- Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Also read: ‘I Can’t Follow Their System’- Joe Rogan Says that He Isn’t a Fan of PFL’s ‘Wacky’ Scoring System
Who will you vote for? Let us know in the comment section below.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT