(PRESS RELEASE) -- LOS ANGELES – AXS TV’s INSIDE MMA today announced nominations for its 2014 Bazzie Awards—the network’s annual award show recognizing the best fights, fighters, and moments in mixed martial arts for the year. The seventh annual Bazzie Awards, hosted by INSIDE MMA series hosts Bas Rutten and Kenny Rice, will air Friday, December 26 at 12 a.m. ET/9 p.m. PT on AXS TV.
Last year’s Bazzies featured Female Fighter of the Year Ronda Rousey, who is again nominated after defending her UFC women’s bantamweight title twice in 2014, and AXS TV Rising Star of the Year Holly Holm, who went on to claim the Legacy Fighting Championship women’s bantamweight title before signing with the UFC this year. Other memorable Bazzie awards from 2013 include Upset of the Year winner Chris Weidman for his win over Anderson Silva at UFC 162 and Chinzo Machida’s devastating flying knee knockout versus Brian Wood at AXS TV FIGHTS: RESURRECTION FIGHTING ALLIANCE 11, which earned him KO Kick of the Year honors.
Nominees for the “Prime Cuts” award, which showcases this year’s best INSIDE MMA viewer submissions, are listed below and highlighted in the compilation video here. Viewers can vote for the winner of this category here:
Here is the complete list of the 2014 Bazzie Award nominees:
MALE FIGHTER OF THE YEAR
T.J. Dillashaw
Justin Gaethje
Jose Aldo
Donald Cerrone
Fabricio Werdum
Conor McGregor
FEMALE FIGHTER OF THE YEAR
Ronda Rousey
Cat Zingano
Jessica Aguilar
Miesha Tate
Michelle Waterson
KO PUNCH OF THE YEAR
Damacio Page over Brian Hall – Legacy 36
Emanuel Newton over Joey Beltran – Bellator 124
Abel Trujillo vs Jamie Varner – UFC 169
Dan Henderson vs Shogun Rua II – UFC FN
Anthony Johnson vs Mike Kyle – WSOF 8
Roy Nelson vs Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera – UFC FN
KO KICK OF THE YEAR
Luis Santos over Alfredo Morales – XFCi 3
Bruno Miranda vs Kwang He Lee – Road FC 16
Veronica Macedo over Chrissy Audin – Say Uncle Fight Night 2
Andrey Koreshkov over Justin Baesman – Bellator 118
Donald Cerrone vs Adriano Martins – UFC on FOX 10
Alexander Volkov vs Mighty Mo – Bellator 116
SUBMISSION OF THE YEAR
Liam McGeary vs Kelly Anundson – Bellator 124
Eduardo Dantas vs Anthony Leone – Bellator 111
Luke Rockhold vs Tim Boetsch – UFC 172
Richie Martinez Japanese Necktie over Edward Darby – Xplode FS
Ovince St. Preux vs Nikita Krylov – UFC 171
Joseph Benavidez vs Tim Elliott – UFC 172
PRIME CUTS (VIEWER SUBMISSION OF THE YEAR)
Wayland Comanche (Fighter Stuck on the Cage KO)
"Usain Bolt" Punch
Reverse Boston Crab Submission
2 vs 1 Russian KO
Sparta Kick
Women's Spinning Heel Kick
UPSET OF THE YEAR
T.J. Dillashaw over Renan Barao – UFC 173
Will Brooks over Michael Chandler – Bellator 120
David Branch over Yushin Okami – WSOF 15
Johnny Eduardo over Eddie Wineland – UFC FN Cincinnati
Bobby Green over Josh Thomson – UFC on FOX 12
BREAKTHROUGH FIGHTER OF THE YEAR
Will Brooks
T.J. Dillashaw
Luke Rockhold
Fabricio Werdum
Justin Gaethje
AXS TV RISING STAR OF THE YEAR
Boston Salmon
Luke Sanders
Cody East
Damacio Page
Alexandre Pantoja
FIGHT OF THE YEAR
Matt Brown vs Erick Silva – UFC FN Cincinnati
Johny Hendricks vs Robbie Lawler – UFC 171
Chris Weidman vs Lyoto Machida – UFC 175
Henderson vs Shogun II – UFC FN 38
Pat Curran vs Daniel Straus – Bellator 112
Jose Aldo vs Chad Mendes II – UFC 179
ABOUT AXS TV FIGHTS
AXS TV Fights presents more LIVE mixed martial arts and kickboxing events than any other television network with 40+ LIVE world-class fight cards each year. "The Voice" Michael Schiavello and UFC Hall of Famer Pat Miletich call all the action as champions, challengers, and top prospects take center stage every Friday night at 10pE/7pP. AXS TV Fights can be found online, on Facebook and on Twitter. AXS TV is widely distributed in the U.S. via AT&T U-verse, Charter, Comcast/Xfinity, DIRECTV, DISH, Suddenlink, Verizon FiOS, and other cable, satellite and telco providers. The network is also carried in Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.