PIONEER WING:
INAUGURAL UFC HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES -NOVEMBER 21, 2003
ROYCE GRACIE (15-2-3)
You can’t think of MMA w/out the name Gracie. Royce was the true meaning of Pioneer in this sport. He won tournaments by defeating 3 men in one night at UFC 1, UFC 2 and UFC 4. At UFC 3 he submitted Kimo Leopoldo but was unable to continue due to injury. 10-0 Record at the first 4 UFC Events. He’s submitted Hall of Famers Ken Shamrock and Dan Severn along w/ a long list of others. He would make a comeback and fight then Welterweight champion Matt Hughes, a bout he would eventually be defeated in. He finished his career by defeating Saruraba at a Dynamite event and in his final fight defeated one of his first foes Ken Shamrock at a Bellator Event.
KEN SHAMROCK (28-17-2)
The Other name entrenched in MMA Royalty is certainly Shamrock. Ken competed against Gracie at UFC 1 and he would then headline one of the most iconic cards in UFC History, that being The Ultimate Fighter Season 1 Finale where he fought Rich Franklin. He would eventually Coach season 3 of TUF opposite a man he had a legendary rivalry with Tito Ortiz. The 2 fought 3 times over the course of their careers. Ken fought at events in UFC, Pancrase, Pride, Cage Rage and finished his career in Bellator.
PIONEER WING:
DAN SEVERN - April 16th, 2005
Dan Severn competed in some of the first ever UFC events and Tournaments against names like Gracie, Shamrock. Nicknamed “The Beast” he has a Stunning record of 101-19-7. With 127 professional bouts under his belt he is the Hall of Famer w/ the most action inside the cage or octagon. His career came to an end in 2012 but he will always be enshrined in the Hall…
Mark Coleman - March 1st 2008
Mark Coleman is the first man to ever hold the UFC Heavyweight championship. He also won Tournaments at UFC 10 and UFC 11. He competed w/ some of the top names in the sport including Randy Couture, Fedor Emelianenko, Shogun Rua, Pedro Rizzo and more. A staple of the UFC Mark also fought for Pride Fighting Championships, he wrapped up his career where it began in the UFC against fellow Hall of Famer Randy Couture.
MORE PIONEER WING
RANDY COUTURE (19-11)
The first man ever to hold two belts in different divisions. Randy is a 3 time Heavyweight champion, 1 time interim heavyweight champion and 2 time Light Heavyweight Champion. He also won the heavyweight tournament at UFC 13. His upset wins over Tito Ortiz and Tim Sylvia are what fighters dream of. The legendary trilogy w/ Chuck Liddell was one of the first real trilogies in the sport. He’s beaten 5 Hall of famers and has headlined 18 UFC Pay Per View events, more than any other men in the history of the sport.
Inducted: June 24th 2006 at The Ultimate Fighter Season 3 Finale
CHUCK LIDDELL (21-9)
Chuck came into the sport on fire with his incredible knockout power. He was originally managed by UFC President Dana White and trained w/ Tito Ortiz. The two formed a intense rivalry that culminated in Chuck defeating him for the Light heavyweight title. Chuck would defend it four times before dropping it to rampage Jackson. He holds 2 wins over hall of famers Ortiz, Couture plus wins over legends like Wanderlei Silva, Alistair Overeem, Vitor Belfort and Kevin Randleman. Very few men mean what the “Iceman” does to the UFC
Inducted: July 11th 2009 at UFC 100
MATT HUGHES (45-9)
Matt Hughes ran the Welterweight division during his peak in the UFC. His legendary fights w/ Frank Trigg brought attention to the division but it was his bouts w/ GSP that started a new generation. Matt is a 2 time welterweight champion and holds a stoppage win over Royce Gracie.
Inducted: May 29th, 2010 at UFC 114
BAS RUTTEN (28-4-1)
Bas was a UFC Heavyweight champion and has defeated names like Kevin Randleman, Guy Metzger, Maurice Smith and Frank Shamrock twice. He was also a Pancrase open weight Champion w/ 2 defenses. He has since been a trainer and analyst for numerous stations and his own show.
Inducted: July 11th, 2015 at UFC 189
MAURICE SMITH (14-14)
Smith held the UFC Heavyweight Championship and has one defense of said title. He also held the Extreme Fighting Heavyweight championship w/ a defense as well. Maurice was is a former champion kick boxer and has held numerous titles in that sport.
Inducted: July 6th, 2017 at UFC Fan Expo
RICH FRANKLIN (29-7-1)
Rich Franklin, a former school teacher entered the world of mixed martial arts and went on to become the Middleweight Champion. Franklin defeated Wanderlei Silva twice, Evan Tanner, Ken Shamrock and was the final man to KO Chuck Liddell.
Inducted: July 5th, 2019 at UFC Hall of Fame Ceremony
TITO ORTIZ (21-12-1)
Ortiz had iconic rivalries w/ Chuck Liddell, Ken Shamrock and UFC President Dana White. He was one of the first Light Heavyweight champions and defended that belt 5 times. He’s defeated hall of famers, champions and held a fighting career for over 20 years.
Inducted: July 7th, 2012 at UFC 148
MINOTAURO NOGUEIRA
“Big Nog” has held the Pride heavyweight championship as well as the UFC Heavyweight championship and Interim Heavyweight Championship. Holds wins over Henderson, Couture, Cro Cop, Barnett, Werdum and Mark Coleman. His resume is as good as anyone’s in the sport.
Inducted: July 10th, 2016 at Fan Expo
K. SAKURABA (26-17-2)
Kazushi won the UFC Japan heavyweight tournament winner. He’s the holder of the most Submission victories in pride history. He also fought in the longest bout in Pride fighting history. Sakuraba is also the first man to defeat Royce Gracie.
Inducted: July 6th, 2017 at Hall of Fame Ceremony
K. RANDLEMAN (17-16)
Kevin was a UFC Heavyweight champion and fought all the big names in the Heavyweight division. Randleman fought for The UFC and Pride Fighting Championships. Sadly Kevin passed away in 2016 leaving behind an unforgettable legacy.
Inducted:
PAT MILETECH (29-7-2)
Pat was the first ever welterweight champion in UFC history and defended the belt 4 times. At UFC 16 he won the Welterweight tournament. Miletech is a close training partner w/ Matt Hughes and eventually would open the Miletech Fighting system as he’s an extremely successful trainer.
Inducted: July 5th, 2014 at UFC 175
DON FRYE (20-9-1)
Frye won the Ultimate Ultimate 1996 Tournament along w/ being the UFC 10 tournament runner up. Don competed in 3 UFC Tournaments and defeated some of the biggest names in the sport including Ken Shamrock and many others..
Inducted: July 10th 2016 at Fan Expo
MATT SERRA (18-7)
Serra holds one of the biggest championship upsets in the modern era w/ his first round KO of Georges St. Pierre to win the welterweight championship. Serra won the Ultimate Fighter season 4 to earn his title bout against GSP.
Inducted: July 5th, 2018 at UFC Hall of Fame Ceremony