It was Finland’s Jenni Kivioja who received the 2018 ‘Performance of the Year’ gong at the inaugural IMMAF-WMMAA Amateur MMA Awards.
Taking place during the week of the historic 2018 Unified World Amateur Championships in November, 5 athletes were selected as nominees for standout performances dating back as far as the 2017 World Championships.
Having taken place during the quarter-finals of the 2018 IMMAF European Open, Kivioja’s stunning headkick knockout over Sweden’s Jessica Reis won the public vote with the international awards hosted on the eve of the 2018 World Championship Finals.
In addition to her award winning performance, Kivioja has been one of the standout and most consistent performers of 2018, achieving the silver medal at both the European Open and World Championships. Her achievements and proven ability have cemented Kivioja’s place among the top seeded featherweights heading into 2019 with gold medals on her radar.
In addition to Kivioja, Performance of the Year nominations included: the USA’s Benjamin Bennett (KO – 2017 World Championships), Iceland’s Björn Lukas Haraldsson (submission – 2017 World Championships), Ireland’s Ryan Spillane (submission – 2018 European Open) and Sweden’s Frida Vastamäki (KO – 2018 European Open). Watch the highlight moments once again in the nominees video below.
The competition is already at an all time for the 2019 award with some of the most spectacular performances ever seen under the IMMAF-WMMAA banner having taking place most recently at the #MMAWorlds2018.
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