Former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion BJ Penn will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in July and he will go into the Modern Era wing.
The announcement was made during the UFC 187 televised preliminary card on Fox Sports 1 on Saturday night.
“It is our honor to induct BJ Penn into the UFC Hall of Fame. He was one of those stars who helped build the UFC,” UFC President Dana White said in a press release. “When we bought this company, we were told no-one cared about lightweights. BJ Penn not only made people care, he was one of the biggest draws in UFC history. And what he accomplished inside the Octagon speaks for itself – he is one of only two people to win two UFC titles in two different divisions and he beat a who’s who of his era. He is a legend and a no-brainer for the UFC Hall of Fame.”
Penn joins Pioneer Era inductee Bas Rutten, Fight inductee Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg II and Contributor Jeff Blatnick to complete to 2015 UFC Hall of Fame class.
The UFC Hall of Fame 2015 induction ceremony will take place on July 11 as part of the UFC Fan Expo in Las Vegas. Fans with tickets to the UFC Fan Expo will be able to attend the UFC Hall of Fame 2015 event for no additional cost. Tickets to the UFC Fan Expo are available at www.ufcfanexpo.com with two-day passes beginning at $60 online and $65 onsite. One-day passes begin at $35 online and $45 onsite. The UFC Hall of Fame ceremony will be streamed live on UFCFightPass.com.