To our Friends and Family in the MMA Community:
Today I am issuing this statement regarding the 2020 Fighters Only World Mixed Martial Arts Awards show.
It is hard to believe that we are approaching our 12th year of the most prestigious awards ceremony in Mixed Martial Arts. Since holding our first event, we’ve worked hard to celebrate this incredible sport every year. Today, I’m excited to announce that this year will be no exception.
That being said, and like many other professional organizations, we are making a few changes this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We will not present our event on the originally planned date of July 8, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Instead, I am making some fundamental changes that will not only evolve our show in a positive manner from this day forward, but also provide us the best chance of accomplishing our goal of celebrating MMA as the greatest sport in the world with the very people who make it so special.
First, we are extending the standard 12-month voter nomination period to an 18-month period. We feel this allows fans to take into account all global action and performances starting on January 1st, 2019 through to June 30th, 2020. We feel this establishes a fair period of active performance for this year’s voting, and that it also sets a fair parameter for the nomination period moving forward for future Award shows.
Second, Fighters Only will announce the Nominees for the 2020 Awards on Wednesday, July 1st. As always, fans everywhere will be able to immediately cast their votes for their favorite nominees – spanning 22 award categories for eight straight weeks – via the official Fighters Only World MMA Awards website www.worldmmaawards.com. Voting will conclude Tuesday, August 18th, 2020.
Third, Fighters Only will hold the star-studded, black-tie 2020 World MMA Awards event in October 2020 on a date and location to be announced. No, it won’t be on “Fight Island.”
However, while on that topic, we would like to congratulate Dana White for relentlessly pursuing avenues to bring the sport back to the masses, even in the most challenging of circumstances. It is an incredible feat that MMA was the first sport to stage a live event after some of the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted.
It would be easy for us to give in to the complications at hand, and simply take the Awards show online via Zoom or Skype – but where is the heart in that? Besides, we are called Fighters Only for a reason. And so, today I humbly state that the Show Must Go On!
Lastly, everyone at Fighters Only sends our best wishes and our prayers to everyone who has been affected by the virus. We urge everyone to be safe and to continue to take measures to ensure your personal safety. We extend our greatest of thanks to the heroes working on the frontlines of this pandemic, those who have sacrificed so much during these most challenging of times. They are the fiercest fighters of all, and we intend to make special arrangements to show our appreciation to them as part of the 2020 Fighters Only World MMA Awards.
Take care all, and see you in October,
Rob Hewitt
