UFC’s strawweight and light heavyweight champions walked away with hardware after the 16th Annual Fighter’s Only MMA Awards on Thursday night.
Alex Pereira and Zhang Weili won the men’s and women’s “Fighter of the Year” awards respectively after the ceremony in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA this weekend.
The awards, which were determined through an online fan vote weighing accomplishments within the sport from July 1st, 2024 to June 30th, 2024, produced a pair of first-time winners in the biggest categories.
Pereira beat out UFC champs Alexandre Pantoja, Dricus Du Plessis, Islam Makhachev and 2023 PFL heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira to walk away with the top prize.
Within the time frame of the award show’s consideration, Pereira picked up four wins and appeared on the three biggest UFC cards.
After a somewhat controversial debut win at 205 pounds over Jan Blachowicz in July 2023, Pereira captured the division’s title with a second-round stoppage against Jiri Prochazka in the main event of UFC’s 2023 Madison Square Garden Card.
A few months later Pereira served as the biggest fighter on another major pay-per-view card, headlining UFC 300 with a first-round stoppage win over Jamahl Hill.
Then on June 29th – just a few days before the award show’s 2024 consideration period closed out – Periera beat Prochazka for a second time as part of UFC’s 2024 “International Fight Week” event.
“I want to look back to three years ago when I first joined the UFC,” said Pereira through an interpreter on Thursday night. “A lot of people doubted me, a lot of people said that I wouldn’t make it. I went through a lot. A lot of good things have happened. And now I’m here, now I’m getting this award, so thank you. When somebody tells you [that] you cannot do it, don’t listen to them. Never give up on your dreams.”
UFC Strawweight Champion Zhang overcame UFC fighters Kayla Harrison and Raquel Pennington, as well as PFL talents Larissa Pacheco and Liz Carmouche to win “Female Fighter of the Year.”
Zhang furthered her second run as the 115-pound queen over the past year.
At UFC 292 last year, Zhang went the distance against Amanda Lemos to defend her strawweight title for the first time since recapturing it in 2022. Then at UFC 300 earlier this year, Zhang returned for a decision victory against Yan Xiaonan, making her just the second fighter in the division’s history to defend their title twice or more.
With new champions being crowned at flyweight and bantamweight in recent months, Zhang is currently the longest-reigning women’s champion on the UFC roster.
While not prevailing in the biggest award of the night, Max Holloway picked up both “Knockout of the Year” and “Fight of the Year” for his viral UFC 300 buzzer-beating win over Justin Gaethje.
One of the more notable moments early in the evening was when UFC and Pride FC legend Mark Coleman received a lifetime award and the “Fighting Spirit of the Year” award just months after he had risked his life to save his parents from a house fire.
Coleman, who emotionally recounted the night when he saved his parents, spoke about how sobriety has drastically changed him for the better.
“Life is good, life is what you make it,” he said. “It’s short. Get on it, turn it up a notch, and start today.”
16th Annual Fighter’s Only MMA Awards Results
Fighter of the Year: Alex Pereira
Female Fighter of the Year: Zhang Weili
Fight of the Year: Max Holloway vs. Justin Gaethje (UFC 300)
Gym of the Year: The Fighting Nerds
Submission of the Year: Diego Lopes def. Gavin Tucker (UFC Fight Night 8/5/23)
Knockout of the Year: Max Holloway def. Justin Gaethje (UFC 300)
Upset of the Year: Sean Strickland def. Israel Adesanya (UFC 293)
Breakthrough Fighter of the Year: Tom Aspinall
Promotion of the Year: UFC
MMA Personality of the Year: Nina Drama
Leading Man of the Year: Dana White
Trainer of the Year: Ian Larios
Commentator of the Year: Jon Anik
MMA Media Source of the Year: ESPN
Ringcard Girl of the Year: Luciana Andrade
Lifetime Achievement Award: Mark Coleman
Fighting Spirit of the Year: Mark Coleman
International Fighter of the Year: Dricus Du Plessis
MMA Journalist of the Year: Ariel Helwani
Coach of the Year: Plinio Cruz
Best MMA Programming: Dana White’s Contender Series
Referee of the Year: Herb Dean
Comeback of the Year: Tom Aspinall (Career)
Analyst of the Year: Michael Bisping
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