2021 r/MMA Awards Results

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2021 r/MMA Awards Results

The votes have been cast and counted and it is now time to reveal who the users of R/MMA have chosen to honor with this year’s R/MMA awards.

MMA Podcast of the year

5) Heavy Hands (5%)

4) Morning Kombat (14.8%)

3) Believe You Me (21.3%)

2) Jack Slack Podcast (28%)

1) The MMA Hour (30.9%)

It didn’t take long for Ariel Helwani to announce he was bringing back his podcast The MMA Hour after leaving ESPN in June of 2021. The MMA Hour’s first episode back aired in August of 2021 and the podcast immediately reclaimed its old slot as one of the most influential media outlets in the sport. Ariel mixed fighter interviews, analysis, and feuds with other members of the MMA world to make The MMA Hour bigger than ever. Not bad for a podcast that wasn’t around for more than half of the year.

Best MMA IG/Twitter Account

5) twitter.com/Grabaka_Hitman (9.8%)

3t) twitter.com/darrentill2 (17.4%)

3t) twitter.com/KPetersonUFC (17.4%)

2) intagram.com/thebeastufc (23.2%)

1) twitter.com/ARIELHELWANI (32.3%)

Ariel Helwani’s Twitter account was time and again the place MMA fans turned to find breaking news about the sport. Whether it was fight cancellations, fight announcements, clips of interviews with fighters and other personalitues, or Ariel just giving his takes on the sport itself his Twitter was a relaible source of information for fans of the sport.

Best MMA Website

5) fightmatrix.com (0.8%)

4) mmafightcards.org (2.2%)

3) 4chan/sp (3.3%)

2) tapology.com (9.2%)

1) R/MMA (84.5%)

Hey look we gave ourselves this award. However, it is hard to argue that there is a better source for mma online than r/mma. Over 1.7 million users come together every day to discuss breaking news, share highlights, watch interviews and press conferences, watch the fights together, engage with the fighters in AMAs, and share the occasional shitpost. Here’s to another great year in 2022.

Gym of the Year

5) MMA Factory (5.7%)

4) Tiger Muay Thai (14.2%)

3) American Top Team (16.9%)

2) Elavation Fight Team (30.5%)

1) City Kickboxing (32.6%)

Eugene Bareman and Doug Viney’s gym has made a name for itself as the top gym in Oceania producing UFC Champions Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski. Whil Volkanovski has since left the gym, there is no doubt it’s role in his rise to the title. On top of their 2 champions, City Kickboxing is home to 3 other ranked UFC fighters in Brad Riddell, Dan Hooker, and Kai Kara-France along with numerous other fighters both in the UFC and on the regional scene. In 2022 Adesanya will look to retain his UFC Middleweight Championship and Kai Kara-France with a win or two may get the opportunity to get the gym a 2nd UFC belt yet again.

Coach of the Year

5) Diego Lima (1.4%)

4) James Krause (3.2%)

3) Eugene Bareman (4.3%)

2) Khabib Nurmagomedov (10.2%)

1) Trevor Wittman (80.2%)

Coach Trevor Wittman had a big 2021. Not only did he coach Kamaru Usman to multiple title defenses he coached Rose Namajunas to her 2nd UFC Title, and Justin Gaethje is likely next in line for a title shot in the UFC’s Lightweight division. The crowning achievement for Wittman’s perfect 6-0 UFC record in 2021 was UFC 268 in which all 3 of his fighters took home wins in the same night. With an undefeated record in the UFC and 2 champions, it’s easy to see why Wittman was such a popular choice for this award.

Referee of the Year

5) Mark Smith (5.9%)

4) Keith Peterson (10%)

3) Mike Beltran (10.5%)

2) Mark Goddard (14.4%)

1) Jason Herzog (59.1%)

It was a busy year for Jason Herzog as he refereed fights for the UFC, Bellator, and CWFC. Jason Herzog was the 3rd person inside the Octagon for numerous big fights in 2021 and made multiple calls in those fights that drew the praise of fighters and fans alike. Whether it was taking a point from Paulo Costa for his eye poke of Marvin Vettori, his handling of the illegal knee in the Song Wu Choi vs Alex Caceras fight, or his well timed stoppage in the Alexander Volkov vs Alistair Overeem fight, Herzog was more often than not making the right calls at the right time in 2021.

Personality of the Year

5) Bruce Buffer (6.3%)

4) Colby Covington (14.7%)

3) Ariel Helwani (24%)

2) Brandon Moreno (27.3%)

1) Derrick Lewis (27.7%)

Derrick Lewis has long established himself as one of the funniest people in the sport and in 2021 he continued to entertain mma fans both in and out of the cage. His Instagram account is a favorite of many fans where he famously posts he’s/she’s ok videos along with humerous incites on his daily life. He also had more memorable interview moments this year such as saying he would only fight for a title again if they made the fight 3 rounds. On top of making the fans laugh, Lewis had a pretty good year in the cage too going 2-1 with 2 big knockout victories.

Commentator of the Year:

5) Mike Goldberg (4.2%)

4) Laura Sanko (11.3%)

3) Paul Felder (11.6%)

2) Michael Bisping (32.1%)

1) Jon Anik (40.8%)

Jon Anik is now well established as the lead play by play commentator for the UFC and has developed chemistry with all of the various color commentators in the booth. Anik does a good job keeping the action moving and playing the straight man to the more colorful personalities that often surround him in the booth. Anik also from time to time has been known to make off colar remarks about the out of the cage lives of fighters in the cage much to the amusment of those watching at home.

Card of the Year

5) UFC 259 (2.2%)

4) UFC 269 (11.7%)

3) UFC 267 (14.2%)

2) UFC 261 (24.7%)

1) UFC 268 (47.2%)

On paper UFC 268 was a stacked card with 2 title fights and a loaded undercard and it more than delivered. The prelims produced Chris Barnett’s amazing wheel kick knockout, Ian Garry’s coming out party, Chris Curtis picking up his 5th of 6 wins in 2021, Bobby Green spoiling Al Iaquinta’s return to the octagon, and Alex Peirera delivering a devastating flying knee knockout. The main card opened with an instant classic between Michael Chandler and Justin Gaethje and followed with another entertaining scrap between Shane Burgos and Billy Quarantillo. Marlon Vera then delivered a big come from behind front kick knockout of Frankie Edgar. From there Rose Namajunas and Weili Zhang had a very closely contested title rematch before Kamaru Usman closed out his rematch with Colby Covington in another exciting back and forth fight.

Promotion of the Year

5) KSW (1.8%)

4) PFL (3.3%)

3) Rizin (4.2%)

2) One (6.1%)

1) UFC (84.6%)

It was another big year for the worldwide leader in mma as the UFC put on 43 cards, 20 title fights, and made numerous headlines in 2021. History was made for the promotion in 2021 as it made it’s debut on ABC, for the 1st time a UFC Championship changed hands via a disqualification, long time Women’s Bantamweight Queenpin Amanda Nunes lost her crown, and Glover Teixeira became the oldest first-time champion in UFC history.

Breakthrough Fighter of the Year

5) Giga Chikadze (5.4%)

4) AJ McKee (8.2%)

3) Jiri Prochazka (13.1%)

2) Ciryl Gane (34.3%)

1) Charles Oliveira (39%)

2021 was a huge year for Charles Oliveira. Oliveria had always been considered a top 5-10 contender at 145 and 155, but in 2021 started the year by breaking the record for most finishes in UFC history while simultaneously winning the UFC Lightweight Championship in a TKO victory over Michael Chandler. He then finished the year by extending his UFC records for most career submission victories and most finishes while adding a new record for most Performance Bonuses in a career in his title defense against Dustin Porier. Oliveira also picked up performance bonuses for both fights.

Female Fighter of the Year

5) Marina Rodriguez (2.3%)

4) Kayla Harrison (4.4%)

3) Julianna Pena (22.6%)

2) Valentina Shevchenko (23.5%)

1) Rose Namajunas (47.2%)

Thug Rose’s year began with a shockingly quick upset knockout over Weili Zhang to claim her 2nd UFC Strawweight Championship. A performance Rose also picked up a performance bonus for. Rose then capped it off later in the year by beating a reinvigorated Zhang in the rematch by split decision in a back and forth contest.

Male Fighter of the Year

5) AJ McKee (0.9%)

4) Glover Teixeira (3.9%)

3) Tai Tuivasa (5.2%)

2) Charles Oliveira (40.4%)

1) Kamaru Usman (49.6%)

The UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman had a legacy defining year in 2021. In his first fight of the year, he survived early adversity getting dropped by Gilbert Burns to later finish Burns by TKO. 2 months later he knocked out Jorge Masvidal in a rematch with a devastating right hand that knocked Masvidal out cold. Usman then finished the year off by picking up a 2nd win over his bitter rival Colby Covington by Unanimous Decision in a back-and-forth fight. Usman picked up Performance Bonuses for the Masvidal and Burns fights and was the only UFC Champion to successfully defend their belt 3 times in 2021.

Submission of the Year

5) Anthony Hernandez guillotines Rodolfo Viera (10.8%)

4) Antonio McKee standing guillotines Patricio Pitbull (15.1%)

3) Vicente Luque d’arce chokes Michael Chiesa (17.9%)

2) Andre Muniz armbars Jacare Souza (27.2%)

1) Brandon Moreno RNCs Deiveson Figueredo (29%)

In the rematch of their instant classic first UFC Flyweight Title fight it was Brandon Moreno who was able to put the stamp on the rematch with a RNC finish. In the 3rd round Moreno missed a right hand but it allowed him to clinch Figueredo. He got double underhooks and tripped the champion taking his back right off the takedown as Figueredo tried standing up. Moreno got them back to the ground against the cage and after landing some left hands sank in the choke to claim the title.

https://www.reddit.com/r/MMA/comments/nyogyn/spoiler_deiveson_figueiredo_vs_brandon_moreno/

Knockout of the Year

5) Ignacio Bahamondes KOs Roosevelt Roberts (6.5%)

4) Chris Barnett KOs Gian Villante (13.8%)

3) Cory Sandhagen KOs Frankie Edgar (17.3%)

2) Jiri Prochazka KOs Dominick Reyes (27.2%)

1) Kamaru Usman KOs Jorge Masvidal (35.2%)

Usman promised to make a more definitive statement in the rematch than he did in the first fight and he followed through on the promise. Usman used a jab which Masvidal parried, but the parry but him perfectly in line with the cross that came behind it which put Jorge down in spectacular fashion. Usman followed with some shots on the ground that put Jorge Masvidal out cold as Herb Dean pulled Usman off of the challenger.

https://www.reddit.com/r/MMA/comments/q2x27k/usman_gets_the_one_punch_knockout_against/

Fight of the Year

5) Max Holloway vs Yair Rodriguez (6.8%)

4) Jiri Prochazka vs Dominick Reyes (7%)

3) Petr Yan vs Cory Sandhagen (11.9%)

2) Alexander Volkanovski vs Brian Ortega (27.8%)

1) Justin Gaethje vs Michael Chandler (46.5%)

To kick off the main card of UFC 268 Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler gave the fans an all out war for 3 rounds that you have to see to believe. Both men chewed up each other’s legs with vicious leg kicks and swung for the knockout. Gaethje scored a big knockdown in the 2nd round the Chandler was unbelievably able to battle back from. Both men landed over 100 significant strikes in a fight where the more accurate Gaethje won on the judge’s scorecards, but the fans really won for having seen these two lay it all on the line for 15 minutes.

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2021 r/MMA Awards Results from MMA