McGregor, Johnson receive ESPY nominations

ESPN announced the nominees for its annual sports awards, the ESPYs, and two mixed martial artists were nominated for awards: Conor McGregor, and Demetrious Johnson. Notorious got two.

BEST INTERNATIONAL ATHLETE
Canelo Alvarez, Boxing
Usain Bolt, Track & Field
Katinka Hosszu, Swimming
Conor McGregor, MMA
Cristiano Ronaldo, Soccer

BEST FIGHTER
Terence Crawford, Boxing
Gennady Golovkin, Boxing
Demetrious Johnson, MMA
Conor McGregor, MMA
Andre Ward, Boxing

Last year McGregor was nominated for Best Fighter and Best Breakthrough Athlete, winning the former. This is Johnson’s first nomination. Johnson is presently at odds with the league over the degree to which he is promoted. McGregor’s focus isn’t on MMA at all, but rather on a boxing match with Floyd Mayweather Jr. on August 26. McGregor won’t win, but if he does, he will be the most famous athlete on Earth.

Mixed martial arts was once a fringe sport, but the success of fighters at the ESPYs is yet another sign that MMA is now mainstream. Voting for the 2017 ESPY nominees is underway until the awards show on July 12 in Los Angeles, which airs live on ABC.