Jon Jones @JonnyBones & Ronda Rousey @RondaRousey Win Male & Female Fighters Of The Year At Fighters Only World MMA Awards [Video + Full List Of Winners Inside]

Video After The Jump

The Fighters Only World MMA Awards 2012 took place last night at ‘The Joint’ in Las Vegas' Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

Now into their fifth year, the awards have become a fixture of the mixed martial arts world’s annual calendar. FOX Sports were there to film proceedings and the show will air on FOX Sports Net on Sunday, January 20.

Chael Sonnen and Molly Qerim reprised their role as co-hosts, their partnership having proved to be a winning formula at the 2011 Awards. As usual Sonnen was on fine form and drew gales of laughter with his sarcastic wise-cracks.

The show was attended by a galaxy of MMA stars and industry figures, all in black-tie, and the awards produced one major upset when Brittney Palmer dethroned Arianny Celeste to win Ring Girl of the Year. The award had gone home with Celeste for the previous four years.

Fighter of the Year went to the apparently unbeatable Jon Jones, who had a storied 2012, while Fight of the Year went to the gritty scrap between Joe Lauzon and Jamie Varner at UFC on FOX 4. The UFC took the Promotion of the Year award for the fifth year straight and UFC president Dana White did likewise with the Leading Man of the Year award.

Knockout of the Year went to Edson Barboza for his spin-kick finish of Terry Etim at UFC 142 and Submission of the Year went to Frank Mir for his kimura arm-break of the previously uncommitted Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

CHARLES ‘MASK’ LEWIS FIGHTER OF THE YEAR
Winner: Jon Jones
Nominees: Daniel Cormier, Nate Diaz, Benson Henderson, Jon Jones, Ronda Rousey

FIGHT OF THE YEAR
Winner: Jamie Varner vs. Joe Lauzon (UFC on FOX 4)
Nominees: Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (UFC 139), Michael Chandler vs. Eddie Alvarez (Bellator 58), Jake Ellenberger vs. Diego Sanchez (UFC on FUEL TV 1), Dustin Poirier vs. Chan Sung Jung (UFC on FUEL TV 3), Jamie Varner vs. Joe Lauzon (UFC on FOX 4)

BREAKTHROUGH FIGHTER OF THE YEAR
Winner: Chris Weidman
Nominees: Renan Barao, Michael Chandler, Luke Rockhold, Ronda Rousey, Chris Weidman

INTERNATIONAL FIGHTER OF THE YEAR
Winner: Michael Bisping
Nominees: Michael Bisping, Alexander Gustafsson, Chan Sung Jung, Martin Kampmann, Stefan Struve

KNOCKOUT OF THE YEAR
Winner: Edson Barboza vs. Terry Etim (UFC 142)
Nominees: Adam Khaliev vs. Alexei Belyaev (League S-70), Edson Barboza vs. Terry Etim (UFC 142), Stephen Thompson vs. Dan Stittgen (UFC 143), Anthony Pettis vs. Joe Lauzon (UFC 144), Brian Rogers vs. Vitor Vianna (Bellator 61)

SUBMISSION OF THE YEAR
Winner: Frank Mir vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (UFC 140)
Nominees: Frank Mir vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (UFC 140), Charles Oliveira vs. Eric Wisely (UFC on FOX 2), Rousimar Palhares vs. Mike Massenzio (UFC 142), Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha Tate (Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey), Chan Sung Jung vs. Dustin Poirier (UFC on FUEL TV 3)

BEST PROMOTION
Winner: UFC
Nominees: Bellator, Invicta FC, ONE FC, Strikeforce, UFC

FEMALE FIGHTER OF THE YEAR
Winner: Ronda Rousey
Nominees: Jessica Aguilar, Sarah Kaufman, Sara McMann, Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate

GYM OF THE YEAR
Winner: Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu
Nominees: American Kickboxing Academy, Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA, Kings MMA, Nova Uniao

SHAWN TOMPKINS COACH OF THE YEAR
Winner: Rafael Cordeiro
Nominees: Rafael Cordeiro, Cesar Gracie, Greg Jackson, Javier Mendez, Andre Pederneiras

COMEBACK OF THE YEAR
Winner: Frank Mir vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (UFC 140)
Nominees: Alan Belcher (career), Mike Swick (career), Frank Mir vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (UFC 140), Tim Boetsch vs. Yushin Okami (UFC 144), J.P. Joubert vs. Norman Wessels (EFC Africa 15)

REFEREE OF THE YEAR
Winner: Herb Dean
Nominees: Herb Dean, Marc Goddard, John McCarthy, Josh Rosenthal, Mario Yamasaki

FIGHTERS ONLY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Winner: Leon Tabbs

MMA JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
Winner: Ariel Helwani, MMAFighting.com/FUEL TV
Nominees: Karyn Bryant, MMA HEAT/FUEL TV; Ben Fowlkes, MMAjunkie.com/USA TODAY; Gareth A. Davies, The Telegraph; Ariel Helwani, MMAFighting.com/FUEL TV; John Morgan, MMAjunkie.com/USA TODAY

PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
Winner: Joe Rogan
Nominees: Jon Anik, Bruce Buffer, Mauro Ranallo, Joe Rogan, Bas Rutten

MMA MEDIA SOURCE OF THE YEAR
Winner: Sherdog.com
Nominees: ESPN, "Inside MMA" on AXS TV, MMAFighting.com, MMAjunkie.com, Sherdog.com

LEADING MAN OF THE YEAR
Winner: Dana White
Nominees: Victor Cui, Lorenzo Fertitta, Shannon Knapp, Bjorn Rebney, Dana White

BEST TECHNICAL CLOTHING BRAND
Winner: Clinch Gear
Nominees: Bad Boy, Clinch Gear, Hayabusa, Jaco, Venum

BEST LIFESTYLE CLOTHING BRAND
Winner: Bad Boy
Nominees: Bad Boy, Dethrone, Headrush, Punishment, TapouT

BEST TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT
Winner: Pretorian
Nominees: Everlast, Fairtex, Hayabusa, Pretorian, Venum