The UFC has its first 2025 inductee into its Hall of Fame, and the honoree will go into the Contributor Wing.
Craig Piligian, an Emmy Award-winning TV producer, will be a member of the UFC’s 2025 HOF class and will go into the Hall at an induction ceremony during International Fight Week in Las Vegas this summer. The promotion announced Piligian as an inductee Saturday at UFC 311 in Inglewood, Calif.
“Craig Piligian is one of the most influential and respected executives in the history of television,” UFC CEO Dana White said in a news release. “Craig was instrumental in shaping ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ into one of the most important unscripted television shows in sports and helping make UFC a global phenomenon. It will be an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer.”
Piligian, 67, started his career in news and eventual launced his own production company, Pilgrim Films & Television. He was an early producer on “Survivor” and won an Emmy, and in 2005 helped the UFC launch the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter” on Spike TV. That season and its finale is widely credited for turning the UFC’s fortunes around. Piligian’s company produced the show, which now has had 32 seasons and 10 additional international seasons.
Piligian’s resume includes production credit on more than 140 TV series and films, including “American Chopper,” a reality series in the world of custom motorcycles, and the Emmy-nominated “Dirty Jobs.” he’s also president of Lionsgate’s Nonfiction TV division and managing director of Lionsgate’s Alternative Television division.
