Craig Piligian is set to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame, Variety has learned exclusively.
Piligian will be inducted into the Contributor Wing of the Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2025. The induction ceremony will take place this summer in Las Vegas and will be streamed live on UFC Fight Pass.
Piligian has a relationship with the UFC going back two decades, when he was approached by Dana White and former UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta to help develop the unscripted series that would become the smash hit “The Ultimate Fighter.” Piligian is credited as co-creator on the show along with Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta III, with Piligian’s Pilgrim Media Group producing. It debuted on Jan. 17, 2005 on Spike TV, with the main event of the Season 1 finale between Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar helping to put the UFC on the map.
“The Ultimate Fighter” has now run for 32 main seasons as well as 10 international seasons and nearly 500 episodes. It has helped launch the careers of UFC greats like Michael Bisping, Rashad Evans, Tony Ferguson, Kamaru Usman, Rose Namajunas, and Nate Diaz among many others.
“Craig Piligian is one of the most influential and respected executives in the history of television,” said UFC President & CEO Dana White. “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 began his career in television in TV news, working for the Las Vegas ABC affiliate KTNV. He went on to found Pilgrim Films & Television (now Pilgrim Media Group) in 1997. Including “The Ultimate Fighter,” he has produced more than 140 projects, including being one of the original executive producers on “Survivor.” His other credits include “American Chopper,” “Dirty Jobs,” “Street Outlaws,” “Top Shot,” and “Ghost Hunters.”
Piligian was named president of Lionsgate Nonfiction Television while simultaneously still serving as CEO of Pilgrim Media Group. Most recently, he was named managing director of Lionsgate’s new alternative television division in January 2024. The new division combined Pilgrim Media Group with eOne, Blackfin, Renegade and Daisybeck Studios unscripted brands.
