Mark Kerr to be Inducted into UFC Hall of Fame

Las Vegas, Nevada – UFC announced today that Mark Kerr, the winner of the UFC 14 and UFC 15 heavyweight tournaments, will be inducted into the 2025 Class of the UFC Hall of Fame as a Pioneer.

The induction ceremony will take place on June 26 during the 13th Annual UFC International Fight Week at T-Mobile Arena. The event will be streamed live on UFC FIGHT PASS.

“Mark Kerr was a high-level wrestler who also fought for PRIDE and was one of the early pioneers of the sport,” said Dana White, UFC President and CEO.

Kerr will become the 21st member of the Pioneer Era Wing, honoring athletes who turned professional before November 17, 2000, and who are at least 35 years old or retired for more than a year.

Kerr, now 56, fought 27 times over a 12-year MMA career, compiling a record of 15 wins, 11 losses, and 1 no contest. He secured victories against notable fighters such as Dan Bobish, Branko Cikatic, and Enson Inoue.

He made his professional MMA debut on January 19, 1997, winning the heavyweight tournament at World Vale Tudo Championship 3, defeating all three of his opponents in the first round.

Six months later, he joined UFC 14 and won the heavyweight tournament on July 27, 1997, in Birmingham, Alabama, finishing Moti Horenstein and Dan Bobish in a combined four minutes.

Kerr followed up with another victory at UFC 15 on October 17, 1997, in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, defeating Greg Stott and Dwayne Cason in just 70 seconds, making him one of only five athletes to win multiple UFC tournaments.

Following his time with UFC, Kerr fought for PRIDE Fighting Championships, where he earned the nickname “The Smashing Machine.” He competed against top challengers until his retirement in 2009.

Kerr’s life in and out of the cage was documented in a film titled “The Smashing Machine.” A new movie starring Dwayne Johnson as Kerr is set to release on October 3.

A native of Toledo, Ohio, Kerr began his wrestling career at Bettendorf High School in Iowa, later becoming an Ohio Division I state champion. He continued his wrestling career at Syracuse University, where he won multiple conference titles and the NCAA Division I National Championship in 1992.

Outside of mixed martial arts, Kerr achieved success in freestyle wrestling, winning medals in various international competitions and was inducted into the ADCC Hall of Fame in 2022.