2014 WMMA Press Award Winners

Over the next week, the WMMA Press Committee will be awarding their 2014 award winners.

Member websites will be giving the away the awards via written stories and podcasts.

The members include:

• Gina Begley – Pro WMMA Now / Bluegrass MMA
• Pedro Henrique – Da Made Ferro MMA (Brazil)
• Charlie Jewett – CJ’s Report (covering Asian MMA)
• Yael Grauer – Sherdog.com
• MarQ Piocos – WombatSports.com
• Elias Stefanescu – Ground and Pound (Germany)
• Kristin Ursy – Women’s MMA Round-up

The awards will wrap up with Pro WMMA Now giving away the “Fighter of the Year” award on Monday January 19.

We will update the list (and links to acceptance interviews) as each website awards the recipients.

Here are the winners:

Fighter of the Year

Winners of the divisional awards will be eligible

Featherweight of the Year

• Amanda Bell (3-0 in 2014) – winner
• Megan Anderson (4-0 in 2014)
• Latoya Walker (2-0 in 2014)
• Jessy Miele (3-1 in 2014)

Bantamweight of the Year

• Ronda Rousey (2-0 in 2014) – winner
• Bethe Correia (2-0 in 2014)
• Tonya Evinger (2-0 in 2014)
• Pannie Kianzad (3-0 in 2014)

Flyweight of the Year

• Roxanne Modafferi (2-0 in 2014)
• DeAnna Bennett (4-0 in 2014) – winner (listen to her accept her award here)
• Maryna Moroz (3-0 in 2014)
• Emily Corso (4-0 in 2014)

Strawweight of the Year

• Katja Kankaanpää (2-0 won Invicta title)
• Carla Esparza (1-0; won UFC title)
• Jessica Aguilar (3-0 in 2014)
• Joanna Jedrzejczyk (3-0 in 2014 @ 115) – winner (read more here)

Atomweight of the Year

• Herica Tiburcio (1-0 in 2014; won the Invicta title)
• Jodie Esquibel (2-0 in 2014)
• Seo Hee Ham (3-0 in 2014 at atomweight)
• Ayaka Hamsaki (2-0) – winner (Hamasaki’s acceptance speech on the CJ Report)

Fan Favorite Fighter

• Joanne Calderwood (15% of the vote) – Winner (read her acceptance speech here)
• Tonya Evinger (11%)
• Ronda Roousey (10%)

Fight of the Year

• Paige VanZant vs. Kalin Curran
• Catherine Costigan vs. Irene Cabello
• Katja Kankaanpää vs Stephanie Eggink
• Herica Tiburcio vs Michelle Waterson – winner (read Tiburcio’s acceptance speech on DaMadeFerroMMA.com)
• Randa Markos vs Jessica Penne
• Renata Baldan vs. Michele Ângelo
• Cat Zingano vs. Amanda Nunes
• Jéssica Andrade vs. Raquel Pennington

Knockout of the Year

• Eeva Siiskonen vs Inga Kaledeite at Carelia Fight 10 – (Video here)
• Amanda Bell vs Marina Shafir at Chaos At The Casino 5 – (Video Here)
• Bianca Daimoni vs Yelka Torres at Circuito Talent de MMA 9 – (Video here)
• Ronda Rousey vs Alexis Davis at UFC 175 – (Video Here)
• Christine Stanley vs Katie Runyan – (Video here) – Winner (Listen to her accept the award here)
• Joanne Jedrzejczyk  vs Rosi Sexton at Cage Warriors 69 – (Video Here)
• Michele Angelo vs. Roberta Gomes at MMASH 3 – (Video here)

Submission of the Year

• Hérica Tibúrcio defeats Michelle Waterson via Guillotine Choke at Invicta FC 10 – (Video on UFC Fight Pass)
• Reina Cordoba defeats Anely Jimenez via Key Lock at CRF 14 – (Video here)
• Jessy Miele defeats Lissette Neri via Scraf Hold Armlock at Gladiator Challenge – (Video here)
• Kirstie Gannaway defeats Adek Omar via Triangle Choke at ONE FC 22 – (Video here)
• Milana Dudieva def. Daria Chibisova via Heel Hook at ProFC 53 – (Video Here)
• Katja Kankaanpää def. Stephanie Eggink via Darce Choke at Invicta FC 8 – (Video on UFC Fight Pass) – winner (read more here)
• Raquel Pennington def. Ashlee Evans-Smith via Bulldog Choke at UFC 181 – (Video on UFC Fight Pass)
• Luana Souza def. Kelly Katiussy via Keylock at X-fest 7 – (Video here)

Newcomer of the Year

• Katlyn Chookagian (2-0 ammy; 2-0 pro in 2014)
• Andrea Lee (3-1 ammy, 2-1 pro in 2014) – winner (listen to her accept the award here)
• Emily Corso (4-0 pro in 2014)
• Jamie Moyle (3-0 ammy, 1-0 pro in 2014)
• Amanda Ribas (2-0 ammy, 3-0 pro)
• Danielle Taylor (4-0 pro)
• Jenny Lou Shiver (3-1 pro)
• Jessy Miele (3-1 pro)

Amateur of the Year

• Brenda Enriquez (3-0 in 2014)
• Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (3-0 in 2014)
• Hannah Zeciri (4-0 in 2014)
• Robin Wissmann (3-0)
• Amanda Lino (6-0) – winner (Lino acceptance speech and interview)
• Sarah Jamila (3-0)
• Alyse Anderson (3-0)
• Alexa Connors (3-0)

Promotion of the Year

• Invicta
• DEEP-JEWELS
• Princesses of Pain
• XFC
• MMA Super Heroes
• Cage Warriors
• UFC – winner (read more here)

Sponsor of the Year

• Fight Chix
• Tussel Fight Gear
• SportsFood – co-winner (read and listen to them accept here)
• xIonx
• MMA Road Hog – co-winner (read and listen to them accept here)
• Fightergirls

Headline of the Year

• Invicta Inks Deal with UFC Fight Pass
• Bellator Adds Featherweight Division
• UFC crowns Strawweight champion in Carla Esparza – winner (read more here)
• XFC announces female tournaments
• MMA Super Heroes Debuts with Female Tournament

Legacy Award

• Barry Meyer, Tuff-n-uff promoter (Jeff Meyer accepting the award on Barry’s behalf)

Inspirational Fighter

• Cat Zingano (Read more here)