Full list of fighters who have won BBC Sports Personality’s World Sport Star of the Year including Khabib Nurmagomedov – the latest to join the list
UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov created history when he became the first Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter to be awarded the prestigious BBC Sports Personality’s World Sport Star of the Year award. With the award, the Russian became only the fourth combat sporting personality to win after three other boxers had won it in the past.
In a list of 6 nominees including Irish bower Katie Taylor, Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis, American basketballer LeBron James, American golfer Dustin Johnson and French footballer Wendie Renard, Khabib came up trumps. The award is given every year to the best non-British sportsperson of the year. The voting is open to and done by the general public.
2020 was an important year for Khabib. Despite the fact that the 32-year-old competed in just one fight where he defeated UFC lightweight contender Justin Gaethje, he made waves in the sporting world with his retirement announcement following his father’s death and a promise made to his mother. Khabib was also in the news for other reasons this year most notably for his seemingly ‘conservative’ worldviews and his criticism of French President Emmanuel Macron.
With a return to the UFC Octagon seeming out of reach for Khabib following his reiterations that he has retired for good, he will go down as one of the best ever to compete in UFC. It is therefore, only right that he receives the well-deserved BBC Sports Personality’s World Sport Star of the Year award.
Here are the other three combat-sport athletes to win the distinguished award.
Muhammad Ali
Boxing legend Muhammad Ali was not only the first fighter to win the award but is also one of just four people (Roger Federer, Usain Bolt and Greg Norman being the other three) to have won the award more than once. One of the most significant figures in sporting history, Muhammad Ali walked home with the award thrice – in 1973, 1974 and 1978.
Each of the aforesaid three years were considered milestones in the boxer’s career. In 1973, he came back from a broken jaw and a demoralizing defeat in less than five months to defeat the same opponent Ken Norton in a match for the ages. In 1974, Ali famously defeated Joe Frazier and George Foreman. In 1978, he defeated Leon Spinks to bag the award for the third time.
Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson, one of the most feared boxers in history, won the eminent award in 1989. It was the year when Tyson was in the news for his divorce from model and actress Robin Givens. But it was also the year when Tyson defeated Frank Bruno in an iconic encounter that saw the former recover from the jaws of defeat to produce an incredible comeback and defeat Bruno.
Although Tyson would go on to lose for the first time ever in 1990 to 42:1 underdog Buster Douglas in one of the most famous bouts of all time, the award was given by BBC just a few days prior to the fight, taking into account the bout against Frank Bruno and Tyson’s general popularity.
Evander Holyfield
The only boxer in history to win the undisputed championship in two weight classes, Evander Holyfield was awarded the prize in 1996 along with sprinter Michael Johnson in what was the first time ever the vote was tied and the award had to be shared. 1996 was one of the biggest years in Holyfield’s career, as he became the WBA heavyweight champion by defeating Mike Tyson in a legendary bout.
The fight with Tyson received extensive media coverage and was a hugely awaited duel which was labelled as the fight between the two best heavyweight boxers of the generation. Although Tyson was the overwhelming favorite, Holyfield secured a famous upset and the same along with his popularity led to BBC awarding the World Sport Star of the Year award to him.
Nevin Clinton
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