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Las Vegas – UFC announced today that the former heavyweight champion UFC and UFC^® 12 The winner of the Vitor Belfort heavyweight tournament will be introduced to the UFC Hall class with 2025

Fame as a pioneer. The Hall of Fame 2025 induction ceremony will take place under 13^th Annual International Fight Week UFC^UMBRELLAOn Thursday, June 26, at T-Mobile Arena I will be broadcast live, only on UFC Fight Pass^®.

“Vitor Belfort was 19 years ancient when he was signed by UFC and quickly influenced, becoming the youngest athlete who won the UFC fight and UFC tournament,” said the president and general director of UFC Dana White. “Vitor was a pioneer of this sport and is definitely a UFC legend. It will be honored to introduce him to the UFC Sław Galeria this summer.”

Belfort will enter the Hall of Fame UFC as 20^th Member of Pioneer Era Wing. In the pioneering era, they include athletes who became professionals before November 17, 2000 (when united principles of mixed martial arts were adopted). Other requirements include a minimum age of 35 or a retired person for a year or longer.

Veteran 41 Fight during his 22-year MMA career, Belfort registered the record of 26-14.1 NC (20-14.1 NC-WULC / Pride / Strikeforce), providing victories over UFC Hall of Famers Wanderlei SilvaIN Randy CoutureIN Prosperous FranklinIN Michael BispingAND And Henderson (Wing fight); Former UFC medium weight master Luke Rockholdformer Strikeforce heavyweight master Bobby SouthworthFormer underfund master Strikeforce Nate Marquardtand former massive armor champion Kazuo Takahashi.

At the age of 19, Belfort debuted in a professional MMA on October 11, 1996, rising in Superbrawl 2 in Hawaii. Despite the discrepancy of seven -inch height and 100 pounds. Belfort’s weight disadvantage defeated his opponent, Jon Hess, through a knockout in 12 seconds of the first round to start his career. He immediately signed a contract with UFC after his victory.

Belfort debuted in the UFC as a massive weight, entering the tournament UFC^® 12: The day of the judgmentwhich took place on February 7, 1997 in Dothan, Alabama. He defeated his opponents, Tar Tellman and Scott Ferzzo, both through TKO in the first round to win the tournament in massive weight.

Belfort returned to the action three months later, beating the favorite fans of Tank Abbott for TKO in 52 seconds during UFC^® 13: Final forcewhich took place on May 30, 1997 in August, Georgia. The victory helped to establish Belfort as a rising star and brought him the fight against Couture on UFC 15.

UFC^® 15: collision course It took care of October 17, 1997 in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Belfort and Couture faced the event of cooperation with the winner, aiming at the then heavyweight champion UFC and Future UFC Hall of Famer Maurice Smith in UFC Japan.

Couture would beat Belfort for eight minutes to the first round to give him his first loss as a professional. Belfort won another two fights with Joe Charles and Wanderlei Silva in UFC Japan (December 21, 1997) and UFC Brazil (October 16, 1998), bringing his record to 6-1. His fight with Couture prepared a scene for two exhilarating rematch down, because both athletes will continue to improve popularity.

Over the next three years, Belfort won four of the next five fights with pride, with the only loss in the future Hall of Famer UFC Kazushi Sakuraba.

Belfort returned to UFC as a lightweight heavyweight on June 22, 2002 UFC^® 37.5: As real as possible. He will return to his victorious form a year later, defeating Marvin Eastman by TKO in the first round UFC^® 43: MeltdownJune 6, 2003 in Las Vegas.

The victory brought him his first title shot and a rematch against Couture in the main UFC 46 event. UFC^® 46: supernatural It took place on January 31, 2004 in Las Vegas. The expected fight was shortened due to the detention of a doctor 49 seconds to the first round, and Belfort was crowned the novel UFC heavyweight champion.

Belfort would give couture an immediate rematch UFC^® 49: Unfinished business On August 21, 2004 in Las Vegas, where he would lose his title because of the detention of a doctor in the third round. He would lose his next fight with the future UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz in the main event UFC^® 51: Great Saturday February 5, 2005, ending the second time with UFC.

In the next four years he won six of the next nine fights in numerous fight promotions, including Strikeforce and Pride, and then returned to the UFC to face Franklin in the main event UFC^® 103: Franklin vs. Baking. Belfort won his fight against the unforgettable KO Franklin, restoring as a star in the octopus.

Over the next nine years, Belfort would compete with the best pretenders in medium weight UFC and lightweight heavyweight divisions. He fought for both titles, losing to UFC Hall of Famer Anderson Silva and Jon Jones. During this episode, he also provided unforgettable victories over Bisping, Rockhold, Henderson and Anthony Johnson. His last victory took place in 2017, when he defeated Nate Marquardt through a unanimous decision at UFC^® 212: Aldo vs. Hollowayin his hometown of Rio de Janeiro. He retired after the next fight, lost by KO with the former heavyweight champion UFC Attractive photos while UFC^® 224: Nunes vs. Pennington May 12, 2018 in Rio.

Belfort enters the Hall of Fame UFC with an impressive CV, which includes:

UFC:

• Most of the finals of the first round in the history of UFC-13

• Knockout in 90 seconds or less – 10

• 18 finals in the first round in 26 career wins

In addition to the octagon, Belfort is an excellent author who has his autobiography Vitor Belfort: Claw, Faith and Success Lessons Published by Thomas Nelson Brazil in 2012. In 2013 he won Knockout of the year Behind his Ko with Luke Rockhold in the main event UFC^® On FX: Belfort vs. Rockhold while Only fighters World MMA awards. Belfort also spent time in the boxing ring, winning both his professional matches in 2006 and 2023.

Coming from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, he began training in boxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu at the age of 12. At the age of 18, he was a black belt at Carlson Gracie and won the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu National Championships in absolute and massive divisions. In 2001 he returned to the competition in ADCC, winning a bronze medal in the absolute division. He currently lives in Florida with his wife and children.