Watch the best moments of Chael Sonnen, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, and others from 2024 UFC Hall of Fame ceremony
The UFC Hall of Fame stands as the celebration of the athletes who poured their hearts and gave it their all inside the octagon to propel the sport to greater heights.
In recognition of the distinguished pioneering figures and beloved athletes, the Las Vegas-based promotion established the hallowed hall on November 21, 2003. In keeping with the tradition, the celebration of the 2024 edition was held during the International Fight Week ahead of UFC 303 on June 29 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and women's strawweight queen Joanna Jedrzejczyk were honored as the 2024 inductees of the Modern Wing. Edgar was renowned for his unshakable resolve and tenacious fighting style, while Jedrzejczyk can widely be regarded as the greatest 115-pound champion, having defended her throne five times and lodging the longest active win streak in divisional history.
Overwhelmed by the occasion, Jedrzejczyk joked that she would rather compete on the UFC 303 card than be on stage. Edgar, meanwhile, poignantly encapsulated his career, labeling himself as the "undersized overachiever."
Check out their induction videos below:
A good fight is built on fiery rivalries — perhaps very few as memorable as the feud between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen. The pair have crossed paths twice under the UFC banner with Silva emerging as the victor on both occasions. Yet, the rivalry has stood the test of time and remains a classic case of the face vs. heel narrative.
The UFC honored the fighters by inducting their UFC 117 fight into the Fight Wing. Sonnen lost the fight via submission in the fifth round after dominating the contest for nearly four rounds.
Check out the videos below:
UFC Hall of Fame ceremony 2024 honors pioneers of the sport
Wanderlei Silva, during his heydays in Pride FC, was perhaps one of the most terrifying fighters to engage in combat. The Brazilian's menacing presence rattled adversaries and his credentials, well, they speak for themselves. Silva registered the most wins in Pride history with 22 triumphs and lodged the longest title reign with the most consecutive title defenses.
Never the one to shy away from a firefight, Silva has been honored with the Fight of the Night recognition five times in the UFC.
Check out the video of his Hall of Fame induction below:
Joining Silva in the ranks of the Pioneer Wing is former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio Rua. While not bearing the most physically imposing presence in the division, Rua compensated for that with pure skills, tying for the second-most knockouts in the organization's divisional history (8). In 2018, his back-and-forth battle against Dan Henderson was inducted into the Fight Wing of the promotion.
Check out Rua's induction video below:
UFC lightweight contender Beneil Dariush was honored with the Forrest Griffin Community Award for his exceptional volunteer and charity work for the community. He will also receive a $25,000 donation to the charity of his choice.
Check out the video below: