“Hard times don’t last. Dreams do come true. Bad times don’t last but bad guys do.” – Chael Sonnen.
It’s that time of the year again for the UFC with an extravaganza of fights atop UFC 303 this Saturday as part of its International Fight Week line-up. But, the title rematch between Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka isn’t all that’s going on in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Seven fighters were officially inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame at a special ceremony held in their honor at the T-Mobile Arena. The UFC Hall Of Fame class of 2024 includes Frankie Edgar, Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua, Wanderlei Silva, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva, who didn’t attend the ceremony for his first fight with Chael Sonnen back at UFC 117 – considered one of the greatest fights in UFC history.
Perennial lightweight contender Beneil Dariush was also among the inductees, being given the Forrest Griffin Community Award.
“The Bad Guy” Is Back At It
Known for his talking both in and out of the Octagon, the three-time UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen would give an acceptance speech for the ages once he was got up on the microphone. The Oregon-native made sure to pay respects to where he came from, long before he was on the cusp of a world championship or the media mogul he is today.
Watch Sonnen’s speech below:
Somehow Chael landed this thing. Still undefeated #UFCHOF pic.twitter.com/hI13CsbhjW
— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) June 28, 2024
“I would rather fight at [UFC] 303 than be here…”
Joanna Jędrzejczyk became the second woman (behind Ronda Rousey) to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. The former UFC Strawweight Champion made history with five consecutive title defenses – the most out of any champion at the 115lb weight class.
“JJ” retired following a TKO loss to Zhang Weili at UFC 275, however, it wasn’t a decision that came easy as fighting has long been a part of her life and it’s one she admits she’s having difficulty coming to grips with, in past interviews.
“I would rather be on the other side fighting on Saturday at [UFC] 303,” Jedrzejczyk told UFC News. “It’s still a hard pillow to swallow, but I made my decision to retire years ago. I had an amazing career….”
Watch Joanna Jędrzejczyk’s acceptance speech below:
Thanks for the fights, Joanna Champion! #UFCHOF 🏆 pic.twitter.com/Hqapc8SJqj
— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) June 28, 2024
Check out more highlights featuring the likes of old school legends Shogun Rua, Wanderlei Silva, and the UFC’s real-life “Rocky” Frankie Edgar below:
Welcome to the UFC Hall of Fame, Frankie Edgar 🙌 #UFCHOF pic.twitter.com/K3AxjRQK08
— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) June 28, 2024
SHOGUN RUA 👏 #UFCHOF pic.twitter.com/yHV1fM2jhy
— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) June 28, 2024
No crying, fight fans 🥹
— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) June 28, 2024
The legend Shogun Rua enters the #UFCHOF pic.twitter.com/DSqpzMC5si
The Class of 2024 🔥 #UFCHOF pic.twitter.com/uYBnT5CVhU
— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) June 28, 2024
Wanderlei Silva jokes he would fight Chael Sonnen on sight 😁
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) June 28, 2024
"It's a joke. He's a good guy. I like him. The rivalry is done." pic.twitter.com/SWy6NiOfoc
Still undefeated on the streets of West Linn, Oregon #UFCHOF pic.twitter.com/FZ0NXcLoqr
— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) June 28, 2024
