2022 World MMA Awards to air on ESPN+, Chael Sonnen returns as host

This year’s World MMA Awards will stream on ESPN+ for the second straight year with a familiar host in place.

Fighters Only revealed earlier this week that Chael Sonnen will host the 14th annual event, which takes place Thursday at at the SAHARA Las Vegas. There will also be Trophies for Female and Male Fighter of the year, Knockout, Submission of the Year and Fight of the Years. Media awards and other prizes will also be given out.

The show is set to begin at 10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT.

“I am delighted to have Chael back to host the Fighters Only World MMA Awards once again. He has always done a fantastic job hosting our event.

“There is always a fun sense of unpredictability in what Chael will say and this is an important element to the awards. Now he’s back, and I am looking forward to seeing everyone Thursday night,” Fighters Only CEO

MMA Fighting is nominated for Media Source of the Year, an award it has previously won five times, and nominations were also given to MMA Fighting’s Shaun Al-Shatti and the host of The MMA Hour Ariel Helwani. Helwani is an 11-time Journalist of the Year award winner.

See the full list of nominations below.

Charles “Mask” Lewis Fighter of The Year

Alexander Volkanovski

Johnny Eblen

Charles Oliveira

Islam Makhachev

Francis Ngannou

Female Fighter of the Year

Julianna Pena

Cris Cyborg

Kayla Harrison

Valentina Shevchenko

Raquel Pennington

Breakthrough Fighter of the Year

Tai Tuivasa

Mateusz Gamrot

Paddy Pimblett

Molly McCann

Johnny Eblen

International Fighter of the Year

Alexander Volkanovski

Roberto Soldic

Mateusz Gamrot

Islam Makhachev

Khamzat Chimaev

Fight for the Year

Jiri Prochazka vs. Glover Teixeira – UFC 275

Justin Gaethje vs. Michael Chandler – UFC 268

Alexander Volkanovski vs. Brian Ortega – UFC 266

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Gilbert Burns – UFC 273

Max Holloway vs. Yair Rodriguez – UFC Vegas 42

Knockout of the Year

Michael Chandler (front kick) vs. Tony Ferguson – UFC 274

Ignacio Bahamondes (wheel kick) vs. Roosevelt Roberts – UFC Vegas 34

Sergio Pettis (spinning backfist) vs. Kyoji Horiguchi – Bellator 272

Molly McCann, spinning back elbow vs. Luana Caroline – UFC London

Roman Faraldo, (flying knee), vs. Robert Turnquest- Bellator

Submission of the Year

Jiri Prochazka (rear-naked choke) vs. Glover Teixeira – UFC 275

Stevie Ray (modified body lock) vs. Anthony Pettis – PFL 5

Oliver Enkamp (inverted triangle choke) vs. Mark Lemminger – Bellator 281

Jessica Andrade (standing arm-triangle choke) vs. Amanda Lemos – UFC Vegas 52

Charles Oliveira (rear-naked choke) vs. Dustin Poirier – UFC 269

Comeback of the Year

Sergio Pettis vs. Kyoji Horiguchi – Bellator 272

Carla Esparza (career)

Clay Guida vs. Leonardo Santos – UFC on ESPN 31

Aljamain Sterling (overcoming intense ridicule and injury)

Chris Curtis (career)

Upset of the Year

Julianna Pena vs. Amanda Nunes – UFC 269

Mariusz Pudzianowski vs. Michal Materla – KSW 70

Matheus Scheffel vs. Bruno Cappelozza – PFL 5

Ben Parrish vs. Christian Edwards – Bellator 266

Seika Izawa vs. Ayaka Hamasaki – RIZIN 33

Best Promotion of the Year

UFC

Bellator

PFL

Cage Warriors

KSW

Leading man of the year

Dana White (UFC)

Scott Coker (Bellator)

Peter Murray (PFL)

Graham Boylan (Cage Warriors)

Kerrith brown (IMMAF )

Referee for the Year

Jason Herzog

Marc Goddard

Mike Beltran

Mark Smith

Keith Peterson

Analyst for the Year

Paul Felder

Michael Bisping

Dan Hardy

Kenny Florian

Dominick Cruz

Personality of the Year

Laura Sanko

Daniel Cormier

Chael Sonnen

Joe Rogan

Jon Anik

Best MMA Programming

UFC Embedded

Dana White Contender Series

The MMA Hour

JRE MMA Show

Morning Kombat

MMA MediaSource of the Year

MMA Fighting

MMA Junkie

ESPN

BT Sport

Sherdog

MMA Journalists of the Year

Ariel Helwani

John Morgan

Shaheen Al-Shatti

Aaron Bronsteter

Mike Bohn

Coach of the Year

Eugene Bareman

Eric Nicksick

Mike Brown

Henri Hooft

Diego Lima

Gym of the Year

City Kickboxing

Xtreme Couture

American Top Team

Kill Cliff FC, formerly Sanford MMA )

Fortis MMA

Trainer of the Year

Phil Daru

Jordan Sullivan

Andrew Wood

Heather Linden

Corey Peacock

Ringcard Girls of the Year

Brittney Palmer

Arianny Celeste

Luciana Andrade

Brooklyn Wren

Chrissy Blair

Fighting Spirit of the Year

Kevin Holland (Bravery – in and out of the cage, helping his community in the face of danger on several occasions)

Aaron Aby – Heart – Surviving cancer and fighting cystic fibrosis in order to be a leading contender in Cage Warriors )

Bryce Mitchell (Charity – dedicating half of his UFC 272 fight purse to help children in medical need in his native Arkansas, with a special mention for Dana White who matched Mitchell’s contribution)

Alexander Volkanovski (Determination – demonstrating a champion’s will to overcome adversity and battling through a seemingly inescapable submission from Brian Ortega)

Robbie Lawler (Compassion vs. Nick Diaz – displaying true respect & genuine care for his opponent’s wellbeing in life)

Source: https://www.mmafighting.com/2022/12/7/23498742/2022-world-mma-awards-to-air-on-espn-chael-sonnen-returns-as-host?rand=96749