There comes a point in time within each professional sport when the men and women that gave fans mesmerizing moments are immortalized. In particular, with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA), there have been several distinct personalities who have played pivotal roles in building the sport into what it is today.
Prior to the stacked UFC 189 pay-per-view, which takes place TONIGHT (Sat. July 11, 2015) in Las Vegas, Nevada (more on the fight care here), Matt Hughes, Frank Trigg, Jeff Blatnick, Bas Rutten and B.J. Penn all were inducted into the revamped UFC Hall of Fame (HOF) as part of the 2015 class.
Hughes and Trigg were the first fighters to be enshrined on the afternoon for their participation in one of he most influential fights, let alone rematches, in UFC history. Long-time friend and training partner of Matt Hughes, Pat Miletich, introduced both he and Trigg, who were inducted into the Fight Wing of the HOF.
"The only two times Matt has ever been mad at anyone was against me. He nearly wanted to pull my arm off and the other was against Frank Trigg," recalled Militech.
Matt Hughes
"Frank played a big role, the referee played a big role and the fans played a big role so thank you guys," remembered Hughes.
Frank Trigg
"That's the most of that fight I've ever watched. It was a soul stealer for me. It was a fight that I came in totally prepared for," said Trigg. "I had no injuries; nothing. I was the best possible person I could be that day. I thought for sure I was going to win that fight. This is probably one of the most emotional times I've been because of this fight. It was the most epic battle I've ever been a part of. The UFC can't match this fight."
Blatnick, though he never fought in an MMA fight, was quite possibly the most deserving candidate of them all as he fought tirelessly for the legalization of the sport. A cancer survivor and standout collegiate wrestler, Blatnick became an Olympic gold-medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling and later spent time commentating for the UFC.
Blatnick passed away at the age of 55 due to complications from heart surgery. One of the friends he made along the way in his tremendous life was Director of the New Jersey Athletic Commission Nick Lembo, who opened for Blatnick's wife Lori.
Blatnick was inducted into the Contributors wing of the HOF.
"I'm not here as an NJAC rep but as Jeff's friend and fishing buddy. I'm here not to tell you what he did for the UFC but to tell what he did in his life," Lembo lamented. "Jeff's honesty loyalty determination and character made a mark. He never boasted about the part he played in the sport's development. He is as good of a friend as I'll ever know."
Lori Blatnick
"He was a great ambassador to the sport and the UFC. Getting the call from Dana White for Jeff to be recognized in the Hall of Fame was a shock, but a much deserved accolade," Blatnick said. "Even though he would never have said it, he would be proud today. He liked to keep work and family life separate. On behalf of my family, thank you for recognizing his contributions and inducting him into the Hall of Fame."
Best known for his fighting career in Pancrase overseas, the destructive Dutchman Rutten captivated audiences with his revered, pin-point striking; not to mention his impeccable ground skills and unique charisma. After entering professional MMA at the age of 28, "El Guapo" began a torrid run and between April 1995-May 1999, he racked up 20 wins.
Following his thunderous career in combat, Rutten began life with the gloves off, starring in movies and co-anchoring AXS TV's Inside MMA show, alongside Kenny Rice.
Rutten was inducted into the Pioneers section of the HOF.
"Knowing and working with Bas Rutten was always an adventure. Even in the strangest situations, I've laughed," said Rice. "How else can you explain 15 submission wins in his career without attempting a takedown? That's Bas Rutten. Nobody has done it quite like Bas.
Being the visionary he was, no matter what he achieved in Japan, he knew he would have to solidify himself in the UFC. Bas didn't just do it before it was cool, he made it cool."
Bas Rutten
"I didn't think I would be inducted because all of my big wins came in Japan. For the UFC HOF to recognize me, that means the world to me. If you want something today, you have to work for it, " Rutten said. "I became a fighter because I couldn't stand to be bullied around anymore. I wasn't always the suave, sophisticated man you see today. I saw Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon and it changed everything.
One of the reasons I went to the UFC was to come up with a badass theme song. I wanted to get titles in two different weight classes."
The greatness of "The Prodigy" B.J. Penn cannot be understated. The fighting Hawaiian attained gold in two different weight divisions of the UFC and tallied a laundry list of names throughout his 13-year MMA career, one of them most notably the first man he defeated to hoist a belt in the Octagon, Hughes.
Penn was inducted into the Modern Era of the HOF.
"We can be honest with each other, the only reason I'm here is because B.J. kicked my ass in the first round twice. Good thing I won the rubber match at UFC 63 in 2006, or else you'd be listening to Diego Sanchez now," Hughes said. "Over the last 5 five years, we've become great friends. The awful thing about B.J. is his poker face is so good you can't tell if he's ribbing you or not. He carved out a legacy that none of us will forget.
I'm happy that him beating me for the welterweight title started his journey. He didn't go out losing, he went out like B.J. Penn -- fighting the best possible opponent out there. He didn't just take the hard fights, he asked for them."
B.J. Penn
"I asked Matt to come out to introduce me because he gave me the shot. He did it because he was a great champion and a great fighter," Penn said. "I don't know where to start really. I never thought I'd be involved with the UFC. All I ever wanted to do was -- like with my jiu-jitsu career -- be a champion, beat Jens Pulver and retire and live a normal life. That was my biggest dream. I wanted to come in and win the belt then walk away.
"I ended up losing to Jens Pulver and that put a stop in my plan. By the time I finally worked my way up and beat Matt Hughes, I was in too deep. I couldn't get out after that. I couldn't go back to my original plan."