YOUR vote counts! Presenting the inaugural PFL Awards.
Knockout of the Year
Submission of the Year
Holy S#!+ Moment of the Year“2019 PFL Awards”https://t.co/31dzoglFnk— PFL MMA (@ProFightLeague) February 26, 2020
Professional Fighters League will spotlight its top performers in 10 different categories with the debut of its first-ever awards show next month.
The promotion announced the event on Tuesday. Fans can vote on the PFL Twitter page from Feb. 26 through March 1. Votes from fighters, media and the PFL will also be taken into account for various categories.
Categories include Male and Female Fighter of the Year, Knockout of the Year, Submission of the Year and Professional of the Year, which recognizes a “fighter who used his/her platform to make a positive impact in the community, while also demonstrating character and a dedication to excellence in the cage.”
“We are excited to announce the launch of the first-ever annual PFL Awards,” PFL CEO Peter Murray said. “2019 was a record year for the PFL on ESPN, doubling our Championship audience with over 400,000 TV viewers in the U.S., and over two million globally. This success is attributed to our great fighters, many of whom had to fight five times last season for a shot at the $1 Million Dollar Championship. Through the PFL Awards, we will shine a light on the many fighter achievements and moments deserving of recognition. Our voting process is unique – fans, media, and fighters, along with the league, have a say in who brings home the awards.”
The award winners will be unveiled during a show on ESPN+ in March. An exact air date was not revealed.
Male Fighter of the Year
Lance Palmer
Natan Schulte
Emiliano Sordi
Female Fighter of the Year
Kayla Harrison
Sarah Kaufman
Larissa Pacheco
Knockout of the Year
John Howard def. Ray Cooper III
Movlid Khaybulaev def. Damon Jackson
Ray Cooper III def. Chris Curtis
Submission of the Year
Alex Gilpin def. Andre Harrison
Magomed Magomedkerimov def. John Howard
Natan Schulte def. Ramsey Nijem
Professional of the Year
Francimar Barroso
Kayla Harrison
David Michaud
Fight of the Year
Ray Cooper III vs. David Michaud
Movlid Khaybulaev vs. Andre Harrison
Natan Schulte vs. Loik Radzhabov
Holy S—t Moment of the Year
John Howard hands Ray Cooper III his first KO defeat
Ali Isaev’s buzzer-beater KO of No. 1 seed Denis Goltsov in the PFL heavyweight semifinals
Movlid Khaybulaev flying knee vs Damon Jackson
Most Improved Fighter
Natan Schulte
Emiliano Sordi
Rashid Yusupov
Toughest Fighter: Playoffs MVP
Ali Isaev
David Michaud
Loik Radzhabov
On Notice: Fighters to Watch in 2020
Nikolay Aleksakhin
Denis Goltsov
Brendan Loughnane