Ex-UFC champion & 41-fight MMA veteran gets Hall of Fame curtain call

"The Phenom" will get his moment to celebrate in June.
(Zuffa LLC)

UFC 315 is inching toward its pay-per-view climax, but the event took a slight detour with the promotion's latest edition to the 2025 Hall of Fame class.

Set to take place next month in Las Vegas on Thursday, June 26, the UFC Hall of Fame adds another dynamic striker who competed in every era of MMA with several UFC stints attached to it: Vitor Belfort.

Belfort, a 41-fight MMA veteran with 26 of those coming inside the Octagon, enters the Pioneer Wing with a long-winded resume that still impresses UFC CEO Dana White.

"Vitor Belfort was 19 years [old] 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," White said in a statement Saturday night. "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.”

READ MORE: UFC 315 Guide: underrated bangers, rising stars, and a crucial main event

Vitor Beltort's Career Time Capsule

Belfort was one of the greatest fighters of his era, competing in several high-profile bouts while winning the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship in 2003. Belfort's track record includes fights against Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell, Jon Jones, and Michael Bisping, to name a few.

Vitor Belfort had a dominant career
Nov 7, 2015; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vitor Belfort (red gloves) before his fight against Dan Henderson (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Ibirapuera Gymnasium. Mandatory Credit: Jason Silva-Imagn Images / Jason Silva-Imagn Images

Belfort ended his MMA career losing four of his last five, but decided to try his hand at boxing by beating Evander Holyfield (an exhibition in Sept. 2021) and Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza in April 2023.

Belfort was best known for his quick hands and willingness to fight anyone at any time. What makes Belfort unique is there are few like him remaining, if any, who competed in every known era in the sport's history.

Vitor Belfort Enters UFC HOF

Belfort finished his career with 18 KO wins, arguably never competing in a boring fight.

Vitor Belfort is in the UFC HO
Nov 7, 2015; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vitor Belfort (red gloves) before his fight against Dan Henderson (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Ibirapuera Gymnasium. Mandatory Credit: Jason Silva-Imagn Images / Jason Silva-Imagn Images

The 48-year-old was moved to near tears cageside as let the moment finally sink in.

Now, he'll have his day in MMA immortality.

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Zain Bando
ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99