Eight Croatian-American sports figures, including former UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic, will enter the Croatian American Sports Hall of Fame on October 24, 2026.
The ceremony will take place at the American Croatian Lodge in Eastlake, Ohio, near Cleveland.
The event will celebrate athletes whose achievements span mixed martial arts, American football, baseball, basketball and bodybuilding.
Organized by the Croatian American Sports Hall of Fame, the ceremony will recognize the athletes’ accomplishments and their Croatian heritage.
Stipe Miocic Leads the 2026 Hall of Fame Class
Miocic, the son of Croatian immigrants, is a two-time UFC heavyweight champion and one of the sport’s most successful heavyweight fighters.
He will join seven other prominent figures in the 2026 induction class.
The honorees are Meri Abbado, Fred Arbanas, Gary Beban, Bobby Grich, Jack Marin, Rob Ninkovich and Johnny Pesky.
Abbado is a professional bodybuilder and two-time Masters World Champion.
Arbanas was a six-time All-AFL selection who played for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Beban won the prestigious Heisman Trophy in 1967.
Grich earned six Major League Baseball All-Star selections and four Gold Glove awards.
Marin was a two-time NBA All-Star, while Ninkovich won two Super Bowl championships with the New England Patriots.
Pesky spent decades with the Boston Red Sox as a player, manager and broadcaster.
Together, the eight honorees represent different generations of Croatian-American sporting achievement.
Croatian-American Community to Celebrate in Ohio
The third induction ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. on Saturday, October 24.
The event will take place at the American Croatian Lodge, located at 34900 Lakeshore Boulevard in Eastlake.
Sports broadcaster Jerome Jurenovich will serve as master of ceremonies.
The Croatian American Sports Hall of Fame is affiliated with the National Federation of Croatian Americans Cultural Foundation.
The organization recognizes athletes, coaches and other sports professionals of Croatian descent who have made significant contributions in the United States and Canada.
Its first induction ceremony took place in 2022.
This year’s celebration will bring together athletes, families and members of the Croatian-American community.
Tickets are available through the organization’s official website.
The ceremony will also highlight the connection between Croatian heritage and American sporting history.
