Kayla Harrison, who is among the nominees for this year’s Best UFC Fighter ESPY award, has publicly voiced her support for her teammate Alexandre Pantoja as the most deserving winner instead of herself or the other nominees. Harrison, an Olympic gold medalist turned UFC bantamweight champion, has had a strong year inside the Octagon, but she chose to back Pantoja, who was not nominated for the award.
Harrison’s UFC journey in the past year included a powerful submission over Holly Holm in her debut and a tough decision win over Ketlen Vieira in October, which earned her a title shot. At UFC 316, she secured the bantamweight championship by submitting Julianna Pena with a kimura. Despite these achievements placing her on the shortlist for the ESPY, Harrison believes Pantoja’s accomplishments merit recognition more.
Alexandre Pantoja’s Title Defense at UFC 317 Highlights His Worthiness
The current nominees for the 2025 Best UFC Fighter ESPY include Islam Makhachev, Dricus du Plessis, and Merab Dvalishvili, alongside Harrison. However, Harrison highlighted the omission of Alexandre Pantoja, who recently defended his flyweight championship successfully at UFC 317 in Las Vegas. Pantoja secured a submission victory over Kai Kara-France in the co-main event, marking his fourth flyweight title defense.
Harrison made her preference clear on social media when she said, “My vote is for Pantoja.” This endorsement came in response to an ESPN MMA poll on X (formerly Twitter), demonstrating her belief in Pantoja’s outstanding performance despite his absence from the formal nominees list.
Past ESPY Winners Reflect UFC’s Rising Prominence
The winner of this year’s Best UFC Fighter ESPY will join an illustrious group of champions recognized since MMA was given its own category in 2020. Previous honorees include Sean O’Malley in 2024, Jon Jones in 2023, Charles Oliveira in 2022, and Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2021. Before MMA had its dedicated award, UFC stars like Demetrious Johnson, Conor McGregor, and Ronda Rousey had made significant inroads, challenging dominant figures from boxing such as Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The ESPY ceremony, scheduled for July 16, continues to highlight the growing respect and recognition for UFC fighters. Kayla Harrison’s gesture in backing Pantoja underscores the competitive talent and respect within the UFC community, as well as the importance of acknowledging merit beyond official nominations.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Why did Kayla Harrison adopt her kids?
A. Harrison’s sister had issues with addiction, so their mother first took care of the children. In 2019, the mother had a stroke, and the stepfather died in 2020. After these events, Harrison adopted Kyla, who was eight at the time, and Emery, who was two.