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Marc Ratner Joins 2020 UFC Hall of Fame Class

November 22, 2020 | Posted by Jeffrey Harris
UFC Hall of Fame Marc Ratner

Longtime UFC Senior VP of Government and Regulatory Affairs, Marc Ratner, has been announced for the UFC Hall of Fame Class for 2020 as a Contributor. The UFC made the announcement at last night’s UFC 255 event during main pay-per-view broadcast on ESPN+.

According to an official press release by the UFC, the UFC Hall of Fame Class of 2020 will be inducted next year alongside the UFC Hall of Fame Class of 2021.

Speaking on the announcement, UFC President Dana White stated: “Marc Ratner is the most influential and respected regulator in combat sports history. 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.”

UFC Chief Operating Officer Lawrence Epstein added, “Marc Ratner is the most experienced and respected combat sports regulator in history. The sport of mixed martial arts and UFC do not exist in its current form without his contributions.”

Throughout his career as a regulatory official, Ratner served as Commissioner of Officials for all high schools in Southern Nevada for more than 25 years and also as an NCAA Division I football official for over 20 years. As a collegiate football official, he was selected to officiate three bowl games: the 2000 Independence Bowl, the 2003 Aloha Bowl, and the 2006 Cotton Bowl.

Ratner later joined the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) as an inspector in 1985. In 1987, he was named Chief Inspector and was later promoted to Executive Director in 1992. He oversaw many of boxing’s most prolific fights throughout the 1990s.

In May 2006, Ratner joined the UFC as an executive. At the time only 22 states in the US regulated MMA. As of 2020, MMA is legal and regulated in all 50 states of the Union, as well as Canada, Mexico, and Western Australia. Ratner’s tireless work was instrumental for MMA becoming legalized in the state of New York in 2016 after a battle to end the state’s ban on MMA that lasted for at least a decade.

Former UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertita also commented on Ratner: “Marc Ratner is one of the most significant figures responsible for the continued growth and popularity of combat sports. 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.”

Previously in 2016, Ratner was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. He resides in Las Vegas with his wife Jody, and they are parents to two adult children, with three grandchildren.