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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
The latest addition to the UFC Hall of Fame was revealed on Friday night, and he found out in conjunction with the rest of the MMA world.
On Friday's episode of Inside MMA on AXS TV, UFC President Dana White surprised Bas Rutten with the news that they would be inducting him this July during International Fight Week. Check out his reaction below:
Rutten's UFC run was brief, as he fought just twice in the organization. However, that came after a lengthy run in Pancrase, and he won the UFC Heavyweight Championship in his second fight. His career came to an end just one fight later after he vacated the title, and he's since gone on to work as a commentator and co-host of the Inside MMA program.
The 50-year-old will join the "Pioneer" wing of the Hall, where a majority of those already inducted have been shifted.
"I never expected to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame," Rutten said later in the show (transcribed by MMAFighting.com). "I won the UFC Heavyweight Title, but injuries cut my UFC run short. Most of my big wins were in Japan. I saw the new UFC Hall of Fame format and I thought maybe I could get in eventually as a Contributor because of my years of commentating. But I'm so honored that the UFC recognized what I did as a fighter."
Penick's Analysis: Rutten is a good addition to the Hall. He's gotten a bit ridiculous on commentary in the WSOF, but he's always been a mostly entertaining personality, and though his career isn't as storied as some, he was an important piece part of the story of the sport during his era. The UFC has one more Hall of Fame announcement to make, as they'll also be inducting someone into the "Modern era" wing in July.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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