The following is an article from UFC.com:
“Rampage” and “The Natural” nominated for 'Best Fighter' ESPY Award
History will mark 2007 as the breakout year for mixed martial arts in terms of mainstream acceptance, and ESPN has cemented that fact with the nominations of UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy `The Natural’ Couture and UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton `Rampage’ Jackson for the 2007 ESPY award for `Best Fighter’.
The ESPY awards are given to the premier athletes in the world in various categories and also celebrate the most memorable sporting moments of the last year. The 15th annual awards ceremony will be televised from the Kodak Theatre on Sunday, July 15th at 9pm ET.
At 43, Couture showed that age is nothin’ but a number when he returned from a year long retirement to face 6-8, 260 pound Tim Sylvia at UFC 68 in March. Before a record crowd that was on its feet from the first right hand he landed, Couture scored a stirring five round unanimous decision to win the heavyweight crown for a unprecedented third time, increasing his collective UFC title belt collection to five (the Hall of Famer has won the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship two times).
Jackson’s 2007 hasn’t been too shabby thus far either. A certified star in Japan, where he competed for the PRIDE organization and established himself as one of the best 205-pound fighters on the planet, `Rampage’ made his UFC debut in February with a knockout of Marvin Eastman, and in May, he upended the entire MMA world with his amazing first round knockout of Chuck Liddell, which not only put Jackson’s record against `The Iceman’ at 2-0, but also earned him the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.
To vote for Couture or Jackson, click here.
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