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| Dan Henderson, right, is a shoe-in Hall of Famer for fans. How about for UFC officials? |
With a ballot of 203 potential Hall of Famers for the National
Football League released earlier this week, it got me thinking about the UFC’s
so-called “Hall of Fame”.
Technically, there’s no enshrinement ceremony nor is there a
building fans can go see. But, there are several members. Most notably; Matt
Hughes, Chuck Liddell, Royce Gracie and Charles Lewis are some of the members
of this small group.
With such a small of group of people being on this HOF list
it leaves the door wide open for fans and media to discuss who will be the next
fighter/contributor let into such sacred territory.
That’s what led me to put this list together. It is obvious
that Georges St. Pierre and Anderson Silva are future HOF’ers, but besides them
who else is worthy of such a prestigious honor? Well, here are the fighters I
have on my list.
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira: The one they call “Minotauro” is a
MMA legend. He has a huge following in the states, but an even larger following
in his home country of Brazil. That was quite evident at UFC 134 in Rio. His
impact on the sport deserves this recognition and his 33-6-1 record proves he
is a HOF and class act.
Dan Henderson: One of the few fighters to hold a title in
PRIDE and Strikeforce. He was an original middleweight for the UFC and won the
Middleweight Tournament at UFC 17. He’s had memorable fights with some of the
sports greatest and has been a feared competitor at multiple weight classes.
Tito Ortiz: Some people might disagree with this, but Ortiz
was one of the most feared light-heavyweights of all time. Sure, some of his antics
could be categorized as “despicable” but the HOF is about what you do inside
the octagon not out of it. For his victories inside the “Huntington Beach
Bad-Boy” deserves a future HOF spot.
Cung Le: Based on what Le’s done for the sport and its
popularity in Northern California he is truly a deserving fighter. The UFC has
done its part by having him fight at UFC 139 in San Jose and giving him a spot
in their HOF would be an even greater gesture. If not as a fighter, then as a
contributor to the sport a la Charles Wilson.
There it is. My list of four potential UFC Hall of Famers.
Some of you will agree, some of you won’t. If you have any other
fighters/contributors you think should be on the list, comment away and let the
world know.
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