On Thursday, July 9, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the UFC inducted three fighters into the Modern Wing of its Hall of Fame: Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson, Dominick Cruz and Chris Weidman. The 2026 class, enshrined during International Fight Week, also honored the historic bout between Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Zhang Weili in the Fight Wing, recognized longtime UFC writer Thomas Gerbasi posthumously in the Contributors Wing, and presented Alex Pereira with the Forrest Griffin Community Award.

What Happened at the 2026 UFC Hall of Fame Ceremony?

The ceremony took place Thursday evening before UFC 329, drawing a crowd to T-Mobile Arena and airing live on Paramount+, UFC Fight Pass and the UFC’s YouTube channel. All three Modern Wing inductees delivered induction speeches, with Johnson leading a class that spans three distinct weight classes and three different decades of UFC history.

Johnson credited consistency as the foundation of everything he built. “Just my consistency,” he said after being announced as a 2026 inductee. “Making weight, passing every drug test, defending the belt.” He also reflected on something that has stayed with him since retirement: not capturing enough of the day-to-day grind. “I regret about my career is not documenting it all, like the training sessions,” Johnson said. “I wish I could show my daughter and my kids.”

Weidman had no idea the honor was coming. The UFC brought him cageside under a different pretense before springing the news on him. “It’s a huge honor. I was completely caught off guard with it. Was not expecting it,” Weidman said. “They surprised me. I was completely clueless and it was an awesome surprise.” He also acknowledged that his candidacy might have looked shakier had the UFC weighed his later losses equally with his peak years. Instead, the organization measured him at his best.

Cruz, a two-time UFC bantamweight champion, was announced for the class in January 2026. His induction recognizes not just the two title reigns but the footwork and distance management concepts he brought to bantamweight that coaches and fighters across the sport still reference today.

The Fight Wing inductee was the first Jedrzejczyk versus Zhang Weili bout, which took place at UFC 248 in 2020 and is widely regarded as one of the greatest women’s MMA fights ever contested. Gerbasi, who spent two decades covering UFC events and writing for the organization before his death in 2025, received a tribute from the UFC before his posthumous Contributors Wing induction. Alex Pereira received the Forrest Griffin Community Award for charitable work and volunteer efforts outside the cage.

What Does the 2026 Hall of Fame Class Say About UFC History?

The three Modern Wing inductees cover bantamweight, flyweight and middleweight, three divisions where some of the most technically precise fights in the sport’s history have played out. Johnson redefined what it meant to compete at a lighter weight class in MMA. Cruz brought a style of movement to bantamweight that fighters still study. Weidman ended one of the most dominant title reigns the UFC had seen when he knocked out Anderson Silva in 2013 at Madison Square Garden, a moment that remains one of the most replayed knockouts in the sport.

It is a class without a weak link. Johnson held the flyweight title for 2,142 days and made 11 consecutive defenses, a record that has not been approached since he set it. Cruz won the bantamweight belt twice after returning from injuries that would have ended most careers. Weidman was a legitimate middleweight champion who peaked at the precise right moment and produced a knockout that defined an era.

UFC president Dana White had this to say when Johnson’s induction was announced: “Demetrious Johnson is the greatest flyweight of all time. His streak of 11 consecutive title defenses is one of the most remarkable records we’ve ever seen in professional sports.”

Who Is Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson?

Johnson competed in the UFC from 2011 to 2018, going 15-2-1 inside the octagon. He became the promotion’s first-ever flyweight champion and then treated the division as personal property for the better part of a decade. Across 11 consecutive title defenses, he finished opponents with submissions, knockouts and decisions, earning UFC Fighter of the Year honors in 2013 and again in 2017.

His favorite moment from that run was a flying armbar submission against Ray Borg at UFC 216 in 2017, a performance that won Submission of the Year and stands as a summary of what made him so different from other champions of his era. He finished his UFC career after losing to Henry Cejudo in a closely contested 2018 rematch, then spent five years competing in ONE Championship before retiring in 2023 with a final record of 25-4-1. He enters the UFC Hall of Fame as the 18th inductee into the Modern Wing.

What’s Next for the UFC Hall of Fame?

All three Modern Wing inductees have stepped away from active competition, but their names remain embedded in how current generations of fighters train. The 2026 ceremony took place two days before UFC 329, which puts Conor McGregor back inside the octagon against Max Holloway tonight at the same T-Mobile Arena where Johnson, Cruz and Weidman received their plaques. It is as strong a backdrop for a Hall of Fame class as the UFC could have designed.

Watch the full 2026 UFC Hall of Fame ceremony below.

Who from the 2026 class do you think belongs in the conversation for greatest UFC fighter of all time? Let us know in the comments.