Crawford edges Gaethje to claim Fighter of the Year ESPY despite UFC title run

Justin Gaethje left the 2026 ESPY Awards empty-handed on Wednesday despite one of the most dramatic title runs in recent UFC history, losing the Fighter of the Year award to recently-retired boxer Terence Crawford.

Crawford, who defeated Canelo Alvarez in his lone bout of the eligibility period last September, was announced as the winner by Pat McAfee during his show ahead of the official ceremony. Fellow boxers Gabriela Fundora and Claressa Shields were also nominated alongside Gaethje, who was the only MMA fighter in contention.

Gaethje’s case for the award was a compelling one. “The Highlight” had bounced back from a brutal knockout loss to Max Holloway at UFC 300 in April 2024 with a dominant win over Rafael Fiziev at UFC 313 in March 2025. He then claimed the interim lightweight title by outclassing Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324 in January before pulling off what many considered one of the biggest upsets in UFC history — a fourth-round TKO over unified champion Ilia Topuria at UFC White House in June to become undisputed lightweight champion.

Despite the magnitude of that title unification, Crawford’s crossover profile and his high-profile scalp of Alvarez proved decisive with voters. Gaethje remains the reigning UFC lightweight champion regardless, with his stunning run over the past year cementing his place among the sport’s elite.