The UFC Hall of Fame has its first heavyweight fight.
A May 15, 1998 tilt between Pete Williams and Mark Coleman joins Matt Hughes-Frank Trigg and Forrest Griffin-Stephan Bonnar in the fight wing of the UFC's Hall of Fame, the company revealed on Wednesday's edition of "UFC Tonight."
The bout is best remembered for the stunning finish, where an exhausted Coleman was destroyed by a kick right to the face from Williams.
"Williams against Coleman was the biggest upset of 1998 and the finish is one of the most devastating knockouts in UFC history," said UFC president Dana White, according to MMAjunkie. "This fight is a forgotten classic that represents everything that's great about UFC. Williams took this fight on two weeks' notice and took a beating from Coleman during the regulation period.
"This was his first time inside an Octagon, and once the overtime period started, he had enough left in the tank to deliver one of the greatest knockouts we've ever seen."
Williams' magical moment would not have been possible were it not for Coleman's original opponent Randy Couture being forced out of their bout with an injury.
"The Hammer" was expected to use his trademark ground-and-pound to flatten Williams, but the then-22-year-old was able to hang on for the 12-minute regulation period while Coleman wore himself out.
38 seconds into overtime, Williams connected with the kick that would be replayed in UFC highlight reels for years to come.
This will be the second time Coleman has been inducted into the Hall of Fame. He was previously recognized in 2008 for his individual accomplishments.
