Justin Gaethje nominated for Best Fighter at 2026 ESPY awards

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WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 15: Justin Gaethje holds up his belts following a press conference with other fight winners and Dana White following UFC Freedom 250 at the JW Marriott in Washington, DC on June 15, 2026. (Photo by Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images) | Anadolu via Getty Images 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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Justin Gaethje has won three straight fights and stopped Ilia Topuria to become UFC lightweight champion atop the UFC White House event earlier this month in Washington, DC. That incredible run helped earn “The Highlight” a nomination for “Best Fighter” at the upcoming 2026 ESPY awards. ESPY = Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly. The 37 […]