MMA once again fell short to boxing in ESPN’s ESPY awards.
Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. edged out UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones and former middleweight titleholder Anderson Silva to win the 2013 “Best Fighter” ESPY.
The results, produced by a fan vote, were unveiled at Wednesday’s ESPYS ceremony in Los Angeles. In addition to Jones and Silva, Mayweather topped fellow boxers Canelo Alvarez and Danny Garcia.
Although the “Best Fighter” category replaced the “Best Boxer” category in 2007, a boxer has still won every year. Since the switch, Mayweather has won five awards, and Manny Pacquiao has won two.
It was the third nomination for both Jones (2011-2013) and Silva (2009, 2012-2013).
After spending part of 2012 behind bars due to a domestic abuse conviction, Mayweather fought for the first time in a year and scored a unanimous-decision victory over Robert Guerrero in May. He’s next slated to fight Saul Alvarez on Sept. 14.
To date the lone MMA fighter to take home an ESPY has been congenital amputee Kyle Maynard, who was named “Best Male Athlete with a Disability” at the 2012 awards. Maynard also won the same award in 2004 after posting a 35-16 record in high school wrestling and narrowly missing All-American status at the NHSCA National Wrestling Championships.
The ESPYS, founded in 1993, honor the best achievements, moments and leading athletes of the previous year.
This year’s full list of winners included:
BEST IN SPORT
INDIVIDUAL SPORTS
(Pictured: Jon Jones)
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