A History of Severe MMA Irish & International Award Winners

Fighter of The Year:

  • 2023 – Islam Makhachev
  • 2022 – Alexander Volkanovski
  • 2021 – Kamaru Usman
  • 2020 – Deiveson Figueiredo
  • 2019 – Israel Adesanya
  • 2018 – Daniel Cormier
  • 2017 – Robert Whittaker
  • 2016 – Michael Bisping
  • 2015 – Conor McGregor
  • 2014 – Robbie Lawler

Fight of The Year:

  • 2023 – Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski (UFC 284)
  • 2022 – Jiří Procházka vs. Glover Teixeira (UFC 275)
  • 2021 – Justin Gaethje vs. Michael Chandler (UFC 268)
  • 2020 – Zhang Weili vs Joanna Jedrzejczyk (UFC 248)
  • 2019 – Israel Adesanya vs Kelvin Gastelum (UFC 236)
  • 2018 – Yair Rodriguez vs Chang Sung Jung (UFC Fight Night 139)
  • 2017 – Justin Gaethje vs Michael Johnson (TUF 25 Finale)
  • 2016 – Robbie Lawler vs Carlos Condit (UFC 195)
  • 2015 – Robbie Lawler vs Rory MacDonald (UFC 189)
  • 2014 – Jose Aldo vs Chad Mendes (UFC 179)

Submission of The Year:

  • 2023 – Alexa Grasso vs Valentina Shevchenko – Rear Naked Choke (UFC 285)
  • 2022 – Stevie Ray vs. Anthony Pettis – Modified Twister (PFL 5)
  • 2021 – AJ McKee – Guillotine (vs Patricio Freire, Bellator 263)
  • 2020 – AJ McKee– Neck Crank from closed guard (vs Darion Caldwell, Bellator 253)
  • 2019 – Bryce Mitchell – Twister (vs Matt Sayles, UFC on ESPN 7)
  • 2018 – Zabit Magomedsharipov – Suloev Stretch (vs Brandon Davis, UFC 228)
  • 2017 – Demetrious Johnson – Suplex into an Armbar (vs Ray Borg, UFC 216)
  • 2016 – Nate Diaz – Rear Naked Choke (vs Conor McGregor, UFC 196)
  • 2015 – Fabricio Werdum – Guillotine (vs Cain Velasquez, UFC 188)
  • 2014 – Luke Rockhold – Inverted Triangle Kimura (vs Tim Boetsch, UFC 172)

Knockout of The Year:

  • 2023 – Drakkar Klose vs Joe Solecki (UFC On ESPN 52)
  • 2022 – Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman (UFC 278)
  • 2021 – Sergio Pettis vs. Kyoji Horiguchi (Bellator 272)
  • 2020 – Joaquin Buckley vs Impa Kasanganay (UFC Fight Island 5)
  • 2019 – Jorge Masvidal vs Ben Askren (UFC 239)
  • 2018 – Yair Rodriguez vs Chang Sung Jung (UFC Fight Night 139)
  • 2017 – Edson Barboza vs Beneil Dariush (UFC Fight Night 106)
  • 2016 – Michael Page vs Evangelista Santos (Bellator 158)
  • 2015 – Conor McGregor vs Jose Aldo (UFC 194)
  • 2014 – Ronda Rousey vs Alexis Davis UFC 175)

Female Fighter of The Year:

  • 2023 – Nong Stamp Fairtex
  • 2022 – Zhang Weili
  • 2021 – Julianna Peña
  • 2020 – Valentina Shevchenko
  • 2019 – Amanda Nunes
  • 2018 – Amanda Nunes
  • 2017 – Rose Namajunas
  • 2016 – Joanna Jedrzejczyk
  • 2015 – Joanna Jedrzejczyk
  • 2014 – Ronda Rousey

Underdog of The Year:

  • 2023 – Sean Strickland 
  • 2022 – Leon Edwards
  • 2021 – Julianna Peña
  • 2020 – Jan Blachowicz
  • 2019 – Alexander Volkanovski
  • 2018 – Mauricio Rua
  • 2017 – Darren Elkins
  • 2016 – Michael Bisping
  • 2015 – Rafael dos Anjos
  • 2014 – TJ Dillashaw

Emerging Worldwide Prospect of The Year:

  • 2023 – Ian Garry
  • 2022 – Alex Pereira
  • 2021 – Aaron Pico
  • 2020 – Khamzat Chimaev
  • 2019 – Fabian Edwards
  • 2018 – Israel Adesanya
  • 2017 – Brett Johns
  • 2016 – Tom Duquesnoy
  • 2015 – Thomas Almeida
  • 2014 – Kelvin Gastelum

Irish Professional Fighter of The Year:

  • 2023 – Ian Garry
  • 2022 – Ian Garry
  • 2021 – Ian Garry
  • 2020 – Blaine O’Driscoll
  • 2019 – Norman Parke
  • 2018 – Norman Parke
  • 2017 – James Gallagher
  • 2016 – Conor McGregor
  • 2015 – Conor McGregor
  • 2014 – Conor McGregor

Emerging Irish Prospect of The Year:

  • 2023 – Paddy McCorry
  • 2022 – Lee Hammond
  • 2021 – Pa Lehane
  • 2020 – Ian Garry
  • 2019 – Ian Garry
  • 2018 – Kiefer Crosbie
  • 2017 – Will Fleury
  • 2016 – Rhys McKee
  • 2015 – Peter Queally
  • 2014 – Joseph Duffy

Irish Amateur Fighter of The Year:

  • 2023 – Conor McCarthy
  • 2022 – Keith Keogh
  • 2021 – Shauna Bannon
  • 2020 – Darragh Kelly
  • 2019 – Taka Mhandu
  • 2018 – Lee Hammond
  • 2017 – Dillan Douglas
  • 2016 – Dave Fogarty
  • 2015 – Frans Mlambo
  • 2014 – Ayo Daly

Irish Female Fighter of The Year:

  • 2023 – Danni McCormack
  • 2022 – Sinead Kavanagh
  • 2021 – Leah McCourt
  • 2020 – Sinead Kavanagh
  • 2019 – Sinead Kavanagh
  • 2018 – Dee Begley
  • 2017 – Danni Neilan
  • 2016 – Sinead Kavanagh
  • 2015 – Aisling Daly
  • 2014 – Aisling Daly

Irish Gym of The Year:

  • 2023 – SBG Ireland
  • 2022 – SBG Ireland
  • 2021 – Fight Academy Ireland
  • 2020 – SBG Ireland

Coach of The Year:

  • 2023 – Eric Nicksick (Xtreme Couture)
  • 2022 – Khabib Nurmagomedov/Javier Mendes (American Kickboxing Academy)
  • 2021 – Trevor Wittman
  • 2020 – Eugene Bareman (City Kickboxing)
  • 2019 – Eugene Bareman (City Kickboxing)
  • 2018 – Javier Mendes (American Kickboxing Academy)
  • 2017 – Trevor Wittman
  • 2016 – Jason Parillo (RVCA)
  • 2015 – Javier Mendes (American Kickboxing Academy)
  • 2014 – Roberto Liborio (American Top Team)

Upset of The Year:

  • 2023 – Sean Strickland vs Israel Adesanya (UFC 293)
  • 2022 – Larissa Pacheco vs Kayla Harrison (PFL 10)
  • 2021 – Julianna Peña vs Amanda Nunes (UFC 269)
  • 2020 – Roxanne Modafferi vs Maycee Barber (UFC 246)
  • 2019 – Kai Asakura vs Kyoji Horiguchi (RIZIN 18)
  • 2018 – Henry Cejudo vs Demetrious Johnson (UFC 227)
  • 2017 – Rose Namajunas vs Joanna Jedrzejczyk (UFC 217)
  • 2016 – Michael Bisping vs Luke Rockhold (UFC 199)
  • 2015 – Holly Holm vs Ronda Rousey (UFC 193)
  • 2014 – TJ Dillashaw vs Renan Barao (UFC 173)

Comeback of The Year:

  • 2023 – Abdoul Abdouraguimov vs Rafal Haratyk (Ares 11)
  • 2022 – Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman (UFC 278)
  • 2021 – Sergio Pettis vs. Kyoji Horiguchi (Bellator 272)
  • 2020 – Ed Herman vs Mike Rodriguez (UFC Vegas 10)
  • 2019 – Peter Queally vs Ryan Scope (Bellator 227)
  • 2018 – Derrick Lewis vs Alexander Volkov (UFC 228)
  • 2017 – Darren Elkins vs Mirsad Bektic (UFC 209)
  • 2016 – Miesha Tate vs Holly Holm (UFC 196)
  • 2015 – Uriah Hall vs Gegard Mousasi (UFC Fight Night 75)
  • 2014 – Cathal Pendred vs Mike King (UFC Dublin)

Worst Fight of The Year:

  • 2023 – William Knight vs. Marcin Prachino (UFC Vegas 69)
  • 2022 – Rose Namajunas vs. Carla Esparza (UFC 274)
  • 2021 – Kaitlin Young vs. Cindy Dandois (PFL 2021 #3)
  • 2020 – Israel Adesanya vs Yoel Romero (UFC 248)
  • 2019 – Jacare Souza vs Jan Blachowicz (UFC on ESPN+ 22)
  • 2018 – Tito Ortiz vs Chuck Liddell (Golden Boy MMA 1)
  • 2017 – Cindy Dandois vs Alexis Davis (UFC Fight Night 108)
  • 2016 – Dada 5000 vs Kimbo Slice (Bellator 149)
  • 2015 – Gabriel Gonzaga vs Konstantin Erokhin (TUF 22 Finale)
  • 2014 – Brendan Schaub vs Andre Arlovski (UFC 174)

Underperformer of The Year:

  • 2023 – Roberto Soldic 
  • 2022 – Petr Yan
  • 2021 – Darren Till
  • 2020 – Tony Ferguson
  • 2019 – Ben Askren
  • 2018 – James Gallagher
  • 2017 – Lorenz Larkin
  • 2016 – Rafael dos Anjos
  • 2015 – Erick Silva
  • 2014 – Renan Barao

Worst Decision of The Year:

  • 2023 – Alexa Grasso vs. Valtentina Shevchenko (UFC Noche)
  • 2022 – Michael Page vs. Logan Storley (Bellator 281)
  • 2021 – Gleison Tibau vs. Rory MacDonald (PFL #5)
  • 2020 – Dan Ige vs Edson Barboza (UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs Harris)
  • 2019 – Sinead Kavanagh vs Leslie Smith (Bellator 224)
  • 2018 – Darren Till vs Stephen Thompson (UFC Fight Night 130)
  • 2017 – Joe Lauzon vs Marcin Held (UFC Fight Night 103)
  • 2016 – Fedor Emelianenko vs Fabio Maldonado (EFN 50)
  • 2015 – Al Iaquinta vs Jorge Masvidal (UFC Fight Night 63)
  • 2014 – Diego Sanchez vs Ross Pearson (UFC Fight Night 42)

Non-UFC Fighter of The Year:

  • 2023 – Patchy Mix 
  • 2022 – Brendan Loughnane
  • 2021 – Ray Cooper III
  • 2020 – Mason Jones
  • 2019 – Douglas Lima
  • 2018 – Ryan Bader
  • 2017 – Nathaniel Wood
  • 2016 – Tom Duquesnoy
  • 2015 – Liam McGeary
  • 2014 – Ben Askren

Event of The Year:

  • 2023 – UFC 290 Volkanovski vs Rodriguez
  • 2022 – UFC 281: Adesanya vs Pereira
  • 2021 – UFC 268: Usman vs. Covington 2
  • 2020 – UFC 256: Figueiredo vs Moreno
  • 2019 – UFC 239: Jones vs Santos
  • 2018 – UFC 229: Nurmagomedov vs McGregor
  • 2017 – UFC 217: Bisping vs St. Pierre
  • 2016 – UFC 205: Alvarez vs McGregor
  • 2015 – UFC 189: Mendes vs McGregor
  • 2014 – UFC Fight Night 46/UFC Fight Night Dublin: McGregor vs Brandao

Shocking Moment of The Year:

  • 2023 – Sean Strickland drops Israel Adesanya (UFC 293)
  • 2022 – Leon Edwards flatlines Usman
  • 2021 – Herb Dean wins Referee of the Year.
  • 2020 – COVID-19 halts the world of MMA.
  • 2019 – Showtime Pettis knocks out Wonderboy via Superman punch.
  • 2018 – McGregor attacks fighter bus at UFC 223.
  • 2017 – Conor McGregor signs to compete in a boxing bout against Floyd Mayweather.
  • 2016 – Nate Diaz chokes out Conor McGregor at UFC 196.
  • 2015 – Conor McGregor finishes Jose Aldo in 13 seconds at UFC 194.
  • 2014 – CM Punk signs for the UFC.

Commentator of The Year:

  • 2023 – Jon Anik 
  • 2022 – Jon Anik
  • 2021 – Brad Wharton
  • 2020 – Paul Felder
  • 2019 – Dominick Cruz
  • 2018 – Paul Felder
  • 2017 – Dan Hardy

Legacy Awards:

Walkout of The Year:

  • 2016 – Conor McGregor vs Eddie Alvarez (UFC 205)
  • 2015 – Aisling Daly vs Ericka Almeida (UFC Fight Night 76/UFC Dublin)
  • 2014 – Jon Jones vs Glover Teixeira (UFC 172)

Quote of The Year:

  • 2016 – “I’m not surprised motherfuckers.” – Nathan Diaz
  • 2015 – “He’s powerful and he’s fast. But precision beats power. And timing beats speed.” – Conor McGregor
  • 2014 – “Hey pussy, are you still there?” – Jon Jones

Career Comeback of The Year:

  • 2014 – Dominick Cruz

Massachusetts native currently writing for Severe MMA. Former writer for Neutral Zone LLC. Follow me on Twitter @lander_theo, LinkedIn and Youtube @ Theo Lander for articles and event coverage.

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