Vitor Belfort was in tears after being named
to the 2025 UFC Hall of Fame 👏
#UFC315 pic.twitter.com/CcGzt1MjiY— ESPN MMA (@espnmma)
May 11, 2025
Former
UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor
Belfort will be enshrined in the promotion’s Hall of Fame this
summer.
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Belfort will be the 20th member of the Pioneer Wing, which includes
athletes who turned pro before Nov. 17, 2000, are at least 35 years
old and have been retired for one year or more. The induction
ceremony will take place on June 26 at T-Mobile Arena as part of
International Fight Week and will stream on UFC Fight Pass.
“Vitor
Belfort was 19 years when he was signed by UFC and he quickly
made an impact by becoming the youngest athlete to win a UFC fight,
and UFC tournament,” said UFC CEO Dana White. “Vitor was
a pioneer of the sport and is definitely a UFC legend. It will
be an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame this
summer.”
Belfort compiled a 26-14 record over the course of a career that
began in 1996. He won the UFC heavyweight tournament by scoring
first-round stoppages of Tra
Telligman and Scott
Ferrozzo in 1997. “The Phenom” captured light heavyweight gold
with a doctor stoppage win over Randy
Couture at UFC 46 in January 2004, though he would lose the
belt to “The Natural” one fight later.
In addition to two stints in the UFC, Belfort also competed for
organizations such as
Pride Fighting Championships, Strikeforce
and Afflication during his fighting career. The Brazilian owns
notable wins over the likes of Couture, Wanderlei
Silva, Rich
Franklin, Michael
Bisping, Dan
Henderson, Luke
Rockhold and Nate
Marquardt, among others. Belfort owns UFC records for most
first-round finishes (13) and most knockouts in 90 seconds or less
(10). He finished 18 of his pro triumphs inside of a round.