MANILA, Philippines – Pat Miletich, the inaugural Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight title-winner, will be the latest addition to the promotion’s Hall of Fame.
The 48-year-old Miletich, who became the first UFC 170-pound champion in October 1998 with a split decision win over Mikey Burnett, is scheduled to be inducted into the prestigious elite cast on Monday, July 7, at the UFC Fan Expo, which is part the organization’s International Fight Week festivity in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Recognized as one of the true pioneers of mixed martial arts (MMA), Miletich began his prizefighting run in October 1995, amassing a professional record of 17-1-1 before having his first Octagon appearance in March 1998 to participate and eventually win the welterweight tournament at UFC 16.
The 5-foot-10 “Croatian Sensation” would go on to capture the world welterweight belt, which was known as the lightweight championship at that time.
During his 4-year UFC tenure, Miletich successfully defended his golden strap four times at the expense of Jorge Patino, Andre Pederneiras, John Alessio, and Kenichi Yamamoto before eventually dropping it to Carlos Newton.
After his disappointing loss to Newton, he slowed down his in-ring activities to dedicate his time to his blossoming gym back home in Bettendorf, Iowa.
Miletich is one of the few fighters in the United States to systematize a strong team training concept and focus on integrating different combat disciplines, detaching the UFC’s original idea of style versus style.
His camp Miletich Fighting Systems produced numerous high-caliber combatants, including Matt Hughes, Robbie Lawler, Jens Pulver, and Tim Sylvia.
In his final pro bout, Miletich ended his MMA career on a winning note as he knocked out Thomas Denny at IFL 11 in December 2008 and left the sport with a win-loss-draw card of 29-7-2.
In addition, he remains heavily active in the MMA scene as he is currently working as a resident fight analyst for cable television network AXS TV.
Miletich will become the 12th member of the UFC Hall of Fame, joining the likes of Ken Shamrock, Royce Gracie, Dan Severn, Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, Mark Coleman, Chuck Liddell, Charles “Mask” Lewis, Hughes, Forrest Griffin, and Stephan Bonnar. – Rappler.com
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