UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre and lightweight titleholder Frankie Edgar have received nominations for ESPN’s annual ESPY Awards.
Arguably the top pound-for-pound fighter in mixed martial arts, St. Pierre has not lost a round in nearly three years. The Montreal-based welterweight has rattled off seven consecutive victories since his stunning technical knockout loss to Matt Serra -- a defeat he later avenged -- at UFC 69 in April 2007. St. Pierre carries with him one of the sport’s most impressive resumes, including a pair of wins over UFC hall of famer Matt Hughes and former two-division champion B.J. Penn. He last fought in March, when he cruised to a unanimous decision over the world-ranked Dan Hardy at UFC 111.
Edgar, 28, was nominated in the “Best Upset” category after he stunned Penn to capture the UFC lightweight crown in April. Other nominees are the University of Hawaii fast-pitch softball team (victory over top-ranked Alabama in the Tuscaloosa Super Regional), Northern Iowa men’s basketball team (toppled top-seeded Kansas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament) and professional golfer Y.E. Yang (came from behind to defeat Tiger Woods in the 2009 United States Open).
The once-beaten Edgar used his speed and movement to outpoint Penn in a unanimous decision at UFC 112. He will defend his belt in a rematch with the Hawaiian at UFC 118 on Aug. 28 at the TD Garden in Boston.
Emanating from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, the 2010 ESPY Awards will air live on ESPN on July 14. The show has become a fixture of the sporting landscape since its debut in 1993.