Home to legendary superstars, epic fights, and groundbreaking pioneers, the UFC Hall of Fame will add four new members to its ranks on Sunday, July 10, the day after the epic UFC 200 event. For those showing up to the final day of the UFC Fan Expo to witness the induction ceremony in person or watching it live on UFC FIGHT PASS, it promises to be a day to remember, as one of the Octagon’s early stars, a fight that produced a stunning upset and knockout for the ages, a man who kept the sport alive during its darkest days, and a Brazilian icon receive their just due and join the UFC Hall of Fame.
Here is the Class of 2016…
Don Frye
From the first time he stepped into the Octagon in 1996 until his final pro MMA bout in 2011, Don Frye was a fighter’s fighter, a no nonsense competitor who always showed up to finish his opponents and to put on a show for the fans. And with wins in two UFC tournaments in the early days of the sport, the always popular “Predator” did just that, earning him a place in the UFC Hall of Fame’s Class of 2016.
Pete Williams vs. Mark Coleman
A former UFC heavyweight champion on the road back to the top after losing his title to Maurice Smith, Mark “The Hammer” Coleman still had an intimidating aura around him when he faced unheralded Octagon rookie Pete Williams at UFC 17 on May 15, 1998. Yet in a bout that showed the beauty of MMA and the reality that anything can happen on any given night, the 22-year-old Williams weathered an early storm from Coleman and roared back, knocking him out with a right kick to the head that remains on UFC highlight reels to this day.
Bob Meyrowitz
A co-founder of the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 1993, Bob Meyrowitz laid the groundwork for the sport that would become known as mixed martial arts. Meyrowitz’ dedication to the UFC never wavered as he stood on the front lines, answered the critics and helped move the promotion along, bringing it to Japan and Brazil while also presenting the first UFC event under the unified rules of mixed martial arts in November of 2000.
Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira
A true legend of mixed martial arts, Brazil’s Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira is the only fighter in the sport’s history to hold the UFC and PRIDE heavyweight championship belts. And though that’s enough to cement his legacy and earn him enshrinement in the UFC Hall of Fame, Nogueira’s unyielding heart and ability to pull victory from the jaws of defeat have placed him among the best to ever fight in the ring or Octagon.
