Sixth annual Fighters Only World MMA Awards scheduled for Feb. 7 at Las Vegas’ The Venetian Theatre

The Fighters Only World MMA Awards return in February, and for the first time in the history of the annual ceremony, The Venetian Las Vegas plays host.

Fighters Only officials recently announced plans for the Feb. 7 event, which will once again feature fan voting in 20 different award categories, including “Fight of the Year,” “Knockout of the Year” and “Submission of the Year,” among others.

“The Fighters Only awards have grown to be recognized throughout the industry by fans and fighters alike as the Oscars of our sport,” Fighters Only President and CEO Rob Hewitt stated. “Competition for statues this year, just like the fights, has never been fiercer, and we can’t wait to reveal this year’s winners in our most glamorous and star-studded ceremony yet. All we need now is the fans the vote on mass as they have done each year, and have their say on who deserves the applause.”

The sixth annual Fighters Only World MMA Awards marks the first edition of the ceremony to encapsulate an entire calendar year, as events that take place through Dec. 31, 2013 are eligible for the awards. However, due to the early ending of previous editions, this year’s awards actually incorporate 15 months of activity, as the period start on Oct. 1, 2012.

Future editions of the awards will run from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 of each year.

The voting website, worldmmaawards.com, is now live. Voting begins on Jan. 1 and runs through Jan. 31. The winners are then revealed at the black-tie ceremony.

“What better way to showcase the most exciting year of action in mixed martial arts history than by holding this year’s ceremony in one of the best hotel resorts in the world?” Hewitt asked.

The Fighters Only World MMA Awards were launched in 2008. The first live ceremony took place in 2009 with the stated goal of giving “fans across the globe the opportunity to cast their vote on which athletes, brands and industry professionals have made the greatest impact on the sport.”

MMAjunkie.com is a four-time winner in the Media Source of the Year category. Additionally, lead staff reporter John Morgan is a previous winner in the Journalist of the Year category.

(Pictured: Jon Jones, three-time World MMA Awards winner)