Las Vegas, NV – UFC® has announced that heavyweight tournament champion and MMA pioneer Mark Kerr will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2025. Recognized for his contributions to the sport during its formative years, Kerr will be honored in the Pioneer Wing during the 13th Annual UFC International Fight WeekÔ. The induction ceremony is set for Thursday, June 26, at T-Mobile Arena and will stream 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 UFC President and CEO Dana White.
Kerr becomes the 21st member of the Pioneer Era Wing, which includes athletes who turned professional prior to November 17, 2000—the adoption date of the unified rules of MMA—and have either reached the age of 35 or been retired for at least one year.
Throughout a 12-year professional MMA career, Kerr amassed a record of 15-11,1 NC (10-4,1 NC – UFC / PRIDE), defeating several notable opponents including Dan Bobish, Branko Cikatic, and Enson Inoue.
He entered MMA on January 19, 1997, by winning all three of his matches in the World Vale Tudo Championship 3 tournament, each via first-round finish. That summer, Kerr debuted in the UFC at UFC® 14: SHOWDOWN, capturing the heavyweight tournament title with dominant victories over Moti Horenstein and Dan Bobish. Three months later, he repeated the feat at UFC® 15: COLLISION COURSE, finishing Greg Stott and Dwayne Cason in just over a minute combined.
These performances made Kerr one of only five athletes in UFC history to win multiple tournament titles, joining Royce Gracie, Mark Coleman, Dan Severn, and Don Frye.
Following his UFC tenure, Kerr moved to PRIDE Fighting Championships in Japan, where he continued his success in the heavyweight division. His aggressive style and powerful ground control earned him the nickname “The Smashing Machine,” and a fierce reputation in the sport.
His legacy extended beyond the cage. In 2002, Kerr’s journey was chronicled in the critically acclaimed HBO documentary The Smashing Machine, offering a raw and personal look into his life as a fighter. That story is now being adapted into a feature film of the same name, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and scheduled for release by A24 on October 3.
Kerr’s roots in combat sports trace back to Toledo, Ohio. He began wrestling at Bettendorf High School in Iowa alongside Pat Miletich before returning to Waite High School, where he captured the 1986 Ohio Division I state title. Collegiately, he competed for Syracuse University, winning three EIWA titles and the 1992 NCAA Division I national championship, while also earning All-American honors.
In freestyle wrestling, Kerr added to his accolades with medals at the UWW World Cup and Pan American Games, and victories at the USA Wrestling World Team Trials. He later transitioned to submission grappling, capturing ADCC gold in 1999, 2000, and 2001, defeating future UFC champions Josh Barnett and Ricco Rodriguez along the way. He was inducted into the inaugural ADCC Hall of Fame in 2022.
To explore Mark Kerr’s career further, fans can access his dedicated UFC FIGHT PASS collection: Kerr Fight Collection.
A full list of UFC Hall of Fame inductees, fights, and event details can be found at UFCHOFFAQ. For more on UFC International Fight Week and the Hall of Fame ceremony, visit UFC.com.
