Issue 231

July 2026

The laughs, friendships, and unscripted moments you never saw from the 2026 World MMA Awards.

Once the speeches ended, the cameras kept rolling and some of the night's best stories unfolded behind the curtain. It’s where the carefully rehearsed speeches gave way to genuine laughs, unexpected friendships, and the sort of conversations that remind you MMA's biggest personalities are often even better once the cameras stop rolling. From comedians, actors, and NFL stars to champions still buzzing from their victories, Fighters Only was there to catch the moments the audience never saw.

JAY PHAROAH BRINGS THE LAUGHS

Best known for his years on Saturday Night Live and his uncanny celebrity impressions, comedian and actor Jay Pharoah brought his trademark energy to the World MMA Awards stage. He joked about being the final presenter of the night after coming off the stage. 

“I was the last one,” he said while flashing his pearly whites. “I had no clue I was going to be the last one, but hey, they Rosa Parks'd that thing. It's all good, baby.”

When asked about his feelings about MMA, he was emphatic in his response. 

“Absolutely, man, I love martial arts, brother,” he smiled. “Mixed martial arts, of course. I've got so much respect for what everybody does because in 0.2 seconds the whole match can literally change. You never know what the other person is going to do, so you've got to try to strategize. It's kind of like Denzel Washington in The Equalizer, but that might not work out for you. You've just got to watch, be able to freestyle, and adjust very quickly. Anybody who does it and has the skills, man, my heart goes out to you. Shout out to you. And yeah, I used to take martial arts too. I was nice when I was six.”

Shortly after, Pharoah found himself in the middle of one of the night's most entertaining backstage interviews after Brandon Royval and Joshua Van became the first fighters in the World MMA Awards' 17-year history to walk on stage together and accept the Fight of the Year Award. When asked backstage why they chose to share the spotlight, Royval immediately turned the attention towards his younger rival.

“Man, it's just cool to be here, honestly. He's going to break so many records that he's going to get trophies left and right. This is a cool opportunity for me. I'm just excited to be here, bro. And I was already in town.”

Van was equally quick to return the respect. After thanking everyone for the recognition, he jokingly told the room to “hold me back,” prompting Pharoah to step in as the pair playfully squared up before breaking into laughter.

“Shout out to Royval,” said Van. “Every time he goes in that cage there it's always a banger. For me and myself, it's always a banger too. Shout out to Roy and myself, putting on the show all the time.”

The exchange perfectly captured the respect that exists between two men who had just produced one of the year's most memorable fights. With no egos and plenty of laughs, Pharoah couldn't resist delivering one final joke to Van before wrapping up the interview.

“Your ears ain't turned pork rind yet, man,” joked Pharoah. “You still got the fresh ones. He's got a lot to go.”

There was a pause before the final punchline.

“Wait, can y'all show me some stuff?” said Pharaoh. 

UNVEILING HIDDEN FRIENDSHIPS

Known as one of the NFL's premier defensive stars with the Las Vegas Raiders, Maxx Crosby was far more than just another celebrity presenter at the World MMA Awards. A lifelong UFC fan, Crosby has become a regular fixture cageside since moving to Las Vegas, where a shared passion for combat sports eventually turned Dana White from someone he admired into a close friend.

“He's a mentor to me, somebody I look up to a lot,” smiled Crosby. “He's been incredible since I've been out here in Vegas. He took me under his wing. He deserves everything he's got and everything he's going to earn moving forward.”

Crosby also made it clear that Las Vegas has become more than just the city where he plays football.

“Vegas is my home. Everyone knows that. I always wanted to be here and that ain't going to change. It's the best city in the world.”

Despite his close relationship with White, Crosby insists his love of MMA began long before his NFL career. While many kids of his generation grew up glued to professional wrestling, Crosby says he was introduced to the UFC before he was barely old enough to understand what he was watching.

“I've been a fan my whole life. My dad showed me and my brother when we were like four or five years old. I knew that was real and I committed to that. I fell in love with it immediately. I go all the way back to the Chuck Liddell and Anderson Silva days. That's where I became a diehard fan.” 

Moving to Las Vegas only fuelled that passion. Living in the fight capital of the world meant attending events became routine, and before long Crosby found himself building a genuine friendship with the man who transformed the UFC into a global powerhouse.

“I'm here in Vegas. I'm going to go to as many fights as possible. You end up running into a guy like Dana, and he ends up being a lifelong friend. Things happen for a reason, man. It's just special.”

As the conversation turned to how so many fans first discovered the UFC, Crosby laughed at a familiar family ritual that will resonate with plenty of longtime supporters.

“They're like, 'Turn that fake stuff off. We need to watch the real stuff.' My dad put us on UFC, me and my brother. We were two maniacs as kids, so we definitely fell in love with it early on.”

Somethings never leave you and Crosby brings that same energy every he steps onto the field. 

THE HOLLYWOOD GLAMOUR

Fresh from the breakout success of Taylor Sheridan's hit series Dutton Ranch, the show’s actress Natalie Alyn Lind brought a Hollywood perspective to the World MMA Awards. While she admitted she wasn't yet an MMA expert, the evening quickly turned her into a bigger fan, thanks to an unexpected reunion, a meeting with Dana White and a newfound appreciation for what fighters do.

“I can't quote certain aspects of MMA, but another fan that I am is of Brian,” she said. “I did a TV show with Brian Callen when I was 13 years old, and he played my PE coach.” 

Meeting UFC CEO Dana White only added to the experience, with Lind laughing that it had fast-tracked her MMA fandom.

“The night has been really cool, and I met Dana White, so now I'm just the biggest MMA fan you could ever imagine.”

Looking around the room, Lind was struck by the mix of athletes, entertainers and personalities who had all come together to celebrate the sport. More than anything, though, she said she left inspired by the dedication required to succeed inside the Octagon.

“You see the fighters that are in these categories, and they give everything they have,” she smiled. “It's such a creative sport. It doesn't necessarily come off as a creative sport, but you have to create a persona, and you have to go out there and give it your all. I think everybody here tonight, why I'm so inspired to be here tonight, is people giving it their all. Seriously.”

Lind also loved seeing another side of the athletes. Instead of blood, sweat, and fight shorts, the stars of MMA swapped the cage for the red carpet, turning the awards into one of the sport's rare nights of glamour.

“Everybody looks so hot. Are you kidding me?”

And the pot calls the kettle black. 

THE MAXIMUM BACKSTAGE ENERGY

Back-to-back Personality of the Year winner Nina Drama admitted the biggest battle of the night wasn't on stage, but in her own head. Before collecting her second straight World MMA Award, she confessed she came dangerously close to leaving the event altogether as anxiety threatened to overwhelm her. Moments later, trophy in hand, she was her usual high-energy self.

“Now I am,” she laughed when asked if she was having fun. “Before I was a total mess. The entire lead-up to this, I almost left. I had so much anxiety. Now I'm flying high. I'm really happy.”

Laughing about last year's viral acceptance speech, Nina said her trademark enthusiasm is often mistaken for something else.

“You guys posted the clip from last year. People were like, ‘Oh, was she doing drugs?’ No. I was so excited from winning that I was just like I am now. They're like, ‘Oh, she's on something.’ No, I'm a stimulant of life.”

Nina was also quick to credit UFC CEO Dana White for the career she's built, describing him as someone who trusted her from day one.

“I absolutely wouldn't be here without Dana. He's given me absolute freedom to do whatever I want because he's trusted me since the very beginning, and I've never given him a reason not to. I try my very best to put out the best content and show up and be there for everyone and try to be the best team player I can be. I'm just grateful to have him in my corner as a mentor and someone that's allowed me to live out my dream.”

Fresh from covering the historic UFC event at the White House, Nina was still in awe of the scale of the production, saying it perfectly summed up Dana White's crazy world where he can turn impossible ideas into reality.

“It was surreal. It was a phenomenal experience. Dana has all of these grand ideas of things that he wants to do, and everybody else around him is just like, ‘How the hell are we going to make this happen?’ And they just do. From the Sphere and Noche to the White House, there's nothing that whenever Dana has an idea in his mind that he can't do. When we went to the White House and saw how they put everything together. Then you saw the fighter jets. It's one of the coolest things. You're an American at the White House and then all of a sudden, you just see the fighter jets. It's a phenomenon. I can't really even put it into words. The whole production was so beautiful. They absolutely crushed it.”

She smiled as she recalled watching White walking through the halls of the White House alongside President Donald Trump, calling it one of the defining images of the event.

“I was so proud of Dana when I saw him walking through the halls of the White House with Trump. He's a boss. So gangster. You're just like, ‘Dude, he did this.’ He's one in a million.”

With the nerves finally gone and a second Personality of the Year trophy safely in her hands, Nina was simply relieved she hadn't let self-doubt get the better of her.

“I'm happy I stuck it out. I didn't want to let the fear of losing get in my way. So now you don't have to worry about it. Two wins.”

You can bet the fans are looking for a three-peat next year. 

GIVING THANKS FOR TEAMWORK

Former NFL strength and conditioning coach Ryan Hoag brought an outsider's perspective to the World MMA Awards, presenting the Trainer of the Year award while drawing on decades of experience working with elite athletes. Best known for his work in professional American football, including with the Minnesota Vikings, Hoag quickly found himself impressed by the scale of MMA's biggest night.

“I didn't know what to expect coming here, but I was so impressed and continue to be impressed by the professionalism of this production,” he smiled. “I didn't know if it was going to be some scattered thing. This is top notch. I feel like I'm at the ESPYs or something.”

Although American football has been his world, Hoag revealed he has a long-standing connection to MMA through two former teammates who went on to become stars inside the cage.

“I happen to have two fun MMA stories,” he smiled. “In 2004 with the Vikings, Brock Lesnar was my teammate. And then in 2006, my roommate for the Vikings was Matt Mitrione. So, I've followed their careers, and others, for a number of years.”

Presenting the Trainer of the Year award also struck a personal chord. Hoag said that, despite MMA often being viewed as an individual sport, he recognizes just how much success depends on the people working behind the scenes.

“For Trainer of the Year, that's something that resonated with me,” he said. “Coming from a football background, all 11 people have to be successful in order for a play to be successful. People think that MMA is an individual sport. It takes a team. Those trainers go unnoticed. So, I was happy to bring some light to them, especially a guy like me that's Mr. Irrelevant.”

A WHOLESOME MOMENT

One of the most special moments backstage came when actor Neil McDonough and International Fighter of the Year Paddy Pimblett discovered they were genuine fans of each other's work. McDonough admitted the Pimblett household had an extra reason to celebrate, revealing his own family had been hoping the Liverpudlian would take home the trophy.

“When I told my kids what we were doing and that Paddy was up for the award, they literally all prayed,” he laughed while standing next Paddy. “They were like, ‘Please Paddy win, please Paddy win.’ So, I get to go home with some happy kids tonight.”

Pimblett was equally excited to meet the veteran actor, explaining he'd spent years watching McDonough on screen before finally getting the chance to chat with him backstage.

“It's brilliant,” said Pimblett. “We bumped into each other in the back before, and we were having a chat. I've watched so many films and TV series with him in them.” 

The admiration was clearly mutual, with McDonough praising not only Pimblett's fighting career but the personality that has made him one of MMA's biggest stars outside the Octagon.

“I'm not sure anyone's more entertaining on the internet with the TikToks and everything better than Paddy,” said McDonough. “Some of those videos are fantastic. Keep it up.”

Still processing his International Fighter of the Year victory, Pimblett repeated that he never expected to hear his name called. Knowing the award was decided by the fans made it even more meaningful.

“I did not expect that,” he said. “I thought I was going to get some charity award or something because I only lost in January. But to be voted that by the fans, that means a lot.”

When speaking about the connection he has built with supporters around the world, Pimblett insisted there is no secret formula.

“I'm just being myself,” he smiled. “I'm exactly the same in front of a camera as I am behind the camera. What you see is what you get.”

McDonough agreed that authenticity was precisely why the fans had rewarded him.

“The fans voted loud and clear,” said McDonough. “That's why you won. Congrats, brother.” 

The exchange ended with a laugh as the conversation turned to one of Pimblett's latest viral moments, involving his dog relieving itself outside a stranger's house. Pimblett said the clip had exploded online before he'd even made it home.

“I hadn't even got home from that walk that night, and I'd been sent that video about nine times. That spread like wildfire.” 

It's not every day a dog's toilet break becomes part of an award-winning year, but then again, Paddy Pimblett has never done anything the ordinary way.