Welcome to the UFC Hall of Fame, Mr. Marc Ratner!! #UFC255 pic.twitter.com/uyu5Nky3g3
— UFC Canada (@UFC_CA) November 22, 2020
The UFC’s senior vice president of government and regulatory affairs will be inducted into the “Contributors” wing, the promotion announced during the UFC 255 broadcast on Saturday night. The 2020 Hall of Fame class will be honored at a ceremony next year along with the 2021 inductees.
“Marc Ratner is the most influential and respected regulator in combat sports history,” UFC President Dana White said in a release. “Marc was instrumental in getting the sport of mixed martial arts sanctioned and regulated globally and the tireless work he did educating athletic commissions about MMA paved the way for us to host events around the world. It will be an honor for me to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame Class of 2020.”
Ratner is no stranger to Hall of Fame inductions. The former executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission was enshrined in the World Boxing Hall of Fame and the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame in 2005, the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame in 2012 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2016.
When my website was just getting started, Marc Ratner went out of his way to reach out to me and help out with missing data. Forever thankful for that gesture. Well deserved Hall of Fame member.
— MMADecisions.com (@MMADecisions) November 22, 2020
“Marc Ratner is one of the most significant figures responsible for the continued growth and popularity of combat sports,” said former UFC Chief Executive Officer Lorenzo Fertitta. “As one of the most influential and respected regulators in combat sports, Marc’s contributions to boxing and mixed martials arts over the past three decades are immeasurable, and his impact will continue to shape the landscape for years to come. He is a friend of great character and integrity, and he will be a great addition to the UFC Hall of Fame.”
A Las Vegas resident, Ratner joined the UFC as an executive in 2006. During his tenure, MMA has gone from being regulated in 22 states to being legal in all 50. According to the release, Ratner “was instrumental in the historic 2016 legalization of professional MMA in New York.” He also oversees UFC events in countries without athletic commissions.
“Marc Ratner is the most experienced and respected combat sports regulator in history,” UFC chief operating officer Lawrence Epstein said. “The sport of mixed martial arts and UFC do not exist in its current form without his contributions.”