It was announced earlier tonight (Sat., April 21, 2018) during the FOX Sports 1 broadcast of UFC Fight Night 128 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, that former welterweight champion Matt Serra will be inducted into the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Hall of Fame this July.
The 2018 UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place on July 5 at the Pearl Theatre inside the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, and air exclusively on UFC Fight Pass.
Serra, 43, had a rather up-and-down UFC career with a promotional record of 7-7, but his claim to fame is defeating all-time legend Georges St-Pierre via TKO at UFC 69 to claim the welterweight championship. Serra would go on to lose to GSP in the rematch, but his initial victory remains one of the biggest upsets in mixed martial arts (MMA) history, if not the biggest.
“This is an honor to say the least,” said Serra in an official UFC press release. “I turned professional in 1999, during the dark ages when MMA was almost finished in the US. I didn’t become a mixed martial artist because there was a ton of money and fame to be had - there was none back then. I began competing in MMA because I love the sport, and that took me all the way to the UFC championship, and, now the UFC Hall of Fame. I love the sport as much as I ever did, and I couldn’t be happier or more honored right now.”
Congratulations to the newest UFC Hall Of Fame Inductee Matt Serra pic.twitter.com/g670FOklng
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) April 22, 2018
Since retiring from the sport in 2010, Serra has become one of MMA’s most recognizable and successful coaches. His most infamous victory as a coach came when star pupil Chris Weidman knocked out Anderson Silva at UFC 162 to capture the UFC middleweight title.
“Matt Serra is one of the most underrated mixed martial artists in UFC history,” said UFC President Dana White. “From winning the Ultimate Fighter, to becoming UFC welterweight champion with one of the biggest upsets in UFC history, and now coaching some of the sports top athletes, Matt’s lifelong dedication to combat sports is legendary. Matt fought on the second UFC event under Zuffa ownership in 2001, and today, he helps us find new and exciting talent, while also co-hosting UFC Unfiltered. Serra is a true pioneer, and we look forward to celebrating his career at the UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in July.”
The remaining inductees of the UFC Hall of Fame class of 2018 will be announced in the coming weeks.