The remarkable career of Mark Kerr is receiving a significant honor.
During the UFC 316 broadcast on Saturday, it was officially announced that the 56-year-old Kerr will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame, joining the prestigious Pioneer Wing. The induction ceremony is scheduled to take place on June 28th in Las Vegas. Kerr, a two-time champion of the UFC heavyweight tournament, was present at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., during the event to witness a tribute video highlighting his achievements.
This news arrives at a moment when Kerr`s profile is notably high in mainstream attention. A biographical film chronicling his life, titled The Smashing Machine, is slated for release on October 3rd, with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson portraying the fighter.
Underscoring the deliberate timing connecting Kerr`s Hall of Fame induction with the anticipation surrounding The Smashing Machine, it was also confirmed on Saturday that Dwayne Johnson is slated to deliver the induction speech for Kerr at the June 28th ceremony.
Kerr was a dominant force in the early stages of the UFC. He captured heavyweight tournament titles at UFC 14 and UFC 15 in 1997. True to his moniker, the Ohio native overwhelmed opponents, securing first-round victories in all but one of his initial 11 fights. Regrettably for Kerr, maintaining this level of success proved challenging, and a defeat to Kazuyuki Fujita in 2000 signaled the beginning of a decline in his career.
Following that loss, Kerr`s record saw him win only three of his subsequent 13 bouts before his retirement in 2009, concluding his professional career with a record of 15 wins, 11 losses, and 1 No Contest.
Beyond his MMA career, Kerr was also crucial in the establishment of the now world-renowned Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) submission grappling tournaments. A former Division-I wrestling champion, he triumphed in ADCC tournaments in both 1999 and 2000 and was later recognized as part of the organization’s inaugural Hall of Fame class in 2022.
When Kerr steps onto the stage at the T-Mobile Arena for the UFC Hall of Fame induction, he will be honored alongside the other announced 2025 inductees: Vitor Belfort (Pioneer Wing), Amanda Nunes and Robbie Lawler (Modern Wing), the UFC 236 title bout between Israel Adesanya and Kelvin Gastelum (Fight Wing), and producer Craig Piligian (Contributor Wing).
He joins a distinguished roster of fighters already enshrined in the Pioneer Wing, including legends such as Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell, and Anderson Silva.
