November 4, 2024

Pete Williams on bout with Coleman getting HOF induction: ‘It blows my mind’

Jason Silva-USA TODAY Sports

Former UFC heavyweight Pete Williams speaks about his famous bout with Mark Coleman getting the Hall of Fame treatment.

Pete Williams showed up in Mobile, Alabama in 1998 as a decided underdog. He was making his UFC debut against the vaunted Mark Coleman, who had dropped the UFC heavyweight title in his last fight and was looking to get back to a title shot. But one head kick ended Coleman’s night and allowed Williams’ star to shine bright, at least for a little while.

The bout, one of the most famous from the early days of the UFC, will be inducted into the Fight Wing of the UFC Hall of Fame this weekend. It’s only the third fight to be added.

For his part, Williams told MMA Junkie that he was blown away by the induction:

“It’s definitely going to be an interesting, very busy week. It was never something that I had in my mind to accomplish or something that through getting into this sport and falling in with a great team like the Lion’s Den thought that I would be able to achieve this.

“It blows my mind, actually.”

Williams (12-6) was forced to retire at an early age due to injuries, but has found his way back into the sport as a trainer. Coleman (16-10) is already a member of the UFC HOF as a fighter.

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