Sean O’Malley’s surprising win of the ESPY award for Best UFC Fighter over current light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira has caused an uproar in the MMA community. Social media was flooded with criticisms of the decision, with many questioning how O’Malley could be chosen over Pereira.
The voting process for the ESPY awards includes journalists, sports executives, retired athletes, and ESPN personalities, in addition to sports fans. Despite the inclusion of these sports experts and professionals in the voting process, the decision to award O’Malley over Pereira has left many scratching their heads.
When looking at the time frame considered for the award, from June 2023 to June 2024, it becomes even more perplexing why O’Malley was chosen over Pereira. During this time, O’Malley had two fights and achieved success, but Pereira had a more impressive run with a 4-0 record fighting former world champions.
Pereira’s dominant performances in the Octagon, coupled with his impressive statistics in terms of PPV event revenues, make it difficult to understand why he was overlooked for the award. With 5 of the top 11 highest-grossing PPV events in UFC history and fights averaging more revenue than Conor McGregor, Pereira’s star power and success in the Octagon are undeniable.
Despite O’Malley’s achievements in the past year, including wins over Marlon Vera and Aljamain Sterling, it seems clear that Pereira’s accomplishments, both in terms of his fight record and financial impact on the promotion, make him a more deserving candidate for the title of Best UFC Fighter. As Pereira prepares for his next fight in December, many in the MMA community still feel that he has been unjustly overlooked for the award.
