Another all-time great is set to have his name enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame.
Former light heavyweight champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua is the latest inductee as part of the Class of 2024 and will enter as a member of the 'Pioneer Wing', the UFC announced on Saturday during UFC 301.
Rua made his professional MMA debut in 2002 at Meca 7, a Brazilian promotion. He would then go on to cement himself as one of the most dominant fighters of his era, eventually becoming a UFC champion in 2010 after taking down Lyoto Machida in a title fight rematch.
He retired from the UFC in 2023, finishing with a pro MMA record of 27-14-1.
“Shogun Rua is one of the greatest Brazilian athletes in combat sports history,” said UFC president & CEO Dana White in a press release sent out Saturday. “Shogun had an incredible run in PRIDE and UFC, and he was fearless inside the Octagon. His fights against Mark Coleman, Chuck Liddell, Lyoto Machida, and Dan Henderson represent some of the most memorable moments in UFC history and helped put Brazilian MMA on the map. It will be an honour to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer during International Fight Week.”
The native of Curitiba, Brazil took part in the most fights in UFC light heavyweight history with 24 and is tied for the most knockdowns in UFC light heavyweight history.
He enters the hall as the 20th member of the Pioneer Era Wing, joining legendary fighters like Anderson Silva, Royce Gracie, Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva, who is also joining as part of the Class of 2024. The denomination specifies athletes who turned pro on or before Nov. 17, 2000, are a minimum age of 35, or have been retired for one year or more.
The UFC Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place as part of the 12th annual UFC International Fight Week, on June 27 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
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