Nominees Announced for the 2025 IMMAF Athlete Awards

The International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) has revealed the list of nominees for the IMMAF Athlete Awards 2025, which traditionally honour the best athletes of the past season. Candidates are nominated in the Senior, Junior, and Newcomer categories, along with the special “Performance of the Year” award.

Selections are made by the IMMAF Athletes’ Commission, based on medals won and outstanding results at World and Continental Championships.

Winners will be decided by a weighted vote: 70% from the public and 30% from the IMMAF Board of Directors.

Among the Newcomer of the Year nominees is Armenian fighter Sargius Beloryan (France), a super heavyweight who became the Youth World Champion in 2024 and the European Champion among seniors in 2025.

SENIOR MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR 

Bohdan Cherepania (Ukraine) 
2024 Light Heavyweight World Champion.
2025 European Silver Medallist.

Yerulan Kabdulov (Kazakhstan) 
2024 Strawweight World Champion after 8 years as an IMMAF competitor. 

Gimbat Magomedov (Bahrain)  
2024 Super Welterweight Champion.
Second World Title.
Undefeated in last 14 bouts.

Dzevad Baltic (Serbia) 
2025 Heavyweight European Champion.
2024 World Bronze Medallist.

SENIOR FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR 

Anna Hyria (Ukraine)  
2024 Strawweight World Champion.
2025 Strawweight European Champion.

Miracle Chipito (Zambia)  
2024 Flyweight World Bronze Medallist.
2025 Africa Champion.  

Kiera Fegen (South Africa)  
Back-to-back first-round submissions to win the 2024 Lightweight World title.

Alana Pritchard (England)  
2024 Super Welterweight World Champion, back-to-back TKO wins.

JUNIOR MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR 

Chiril Negru (Slovenia)  
2024 Super Welterweight World Champion.
2025 European Bronze Medallist.

Ibrohim Rahimzoda (Tajikistan)  
2024 Lightweight World Champion.

Alisher Kadyraliev (Kazakhstan)  
2024 Bantamweight World Champion.

Zafarjon Asatov (Uzbekistan)  
2024 Featherweight World Champion.

Stefan Loboda (Romania)  
2024 Middleweight World Champion.

JUNIOR FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR 

Mariia Klein (Ukraine)  
2024 Bantamweight World Champion  
2025 European Champion at bantamweight 
All 8 wins via submission with 7 first round stoppages  

Isla Fono (Finland)  
2024 Lightweight World Champion  
2025 European champion  

Abigail Alvarez (USA)  
2024 Strawweight World Champion with three consecutive stoppages 

Amy Scully (Ireland)  
2024 Atomweight World Champion, second world title 
Avenged defeat against Julia Glaz in the World Championship final 

Maria Kitoko (Angola)  
2024 Super Lightweight World Champion  
2025 African Champion  

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR  

Sargius Beloryan (France)  
2024 Junior Super Heavyweight World Champion.
2025 Senior European Champion.

Vincent Yerly (Switzerland)  
2024 Senior Light Heavyweight World Bronze Medallist 
2025 Senior Light Heavyweight European Champion

Ramazan Malakoevi (Georgia)  
2025 Senior Light Heavyweight European Champion 

Dmytro Lytvynchuk (Ukraine)  
2025 Senior Flyweight European champion 

Kalim Mastouri (France)  
2025 Senior Middleweight European Champion, three back-to-back submissions 

PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR 

Ognjen Mićović (Serbia) 
Question mark kick knockout, European Championships. 

Magloire Mutabi (Congo)
Check-left-hook knockout, African Championships Semi-Final. 

Mohmad Abdulkhazhiev (Belgium)
Stops World Champion Chiril Negru in Junior European Semi-Final. 

Milan Nikolenko (Ukraine)
First round guillotine choke submission against defending Champion Elias Erber in European Championships final. 

Vincent Yerly (Switzerland) 
North-south choke submission, senior European Championships Final. 

Anna Hyria (Ukraine) 
Kneebar counter submission in Senior World Championships Final. 

Amy Scully (Ireland) 
Unanimous decision in rematch with European champion Julia Glaz to win the world championships final. 

Ștefan Lobodă (Romania) 
Von flue choke submission in the World Championships semi-final.