25 Fighters That Would Be in an MMA Hall of Fame

MMA has long fought to become a mainstream sport. 

Thanks to companies like the UFC, the sport is without a doubt larger than it has ever been. 

But while the UFC has its own hall of fame, the sport as a whole needs one. 

There are many legendary fighters who have spent time both in and out of the UFC and should be recognized for their accomplishments.

In no particular order, here's a look at some of the fighters who would make an MMA Hall of Fame.  

Don Frye

At the top of many people's list of fighters who should be in the UFC Hall of Fame is Don Frye.

Frye won 15 of his first 16 fights in his career. This includes winning two UFC tournaments in 1996.

Frye had some success in other organizations including PRIDE where he defeated Ken Shamrock.

Mark Coleman

Mark Coleman could make a MMA Hall of Fame just for his UFC accomplishments alone. 

Coleman won UFC 10 and 11 in 1996 and became the organization's first heavyweight champ in 97. 

Although he had a bit of a slump following the win, Coleman was back on top of his game in 2000 when he won the PRIDE FC open weight grand prix that year. 

What really would put Coleman in an MMA hall of fame is being one of the first Americans to use the ground and pound technique. 

Masakatsu Funaki

Masakatsu Funaki is one of the most underrated and underappreciated fighters in MMA history. 

Funaki was one of the founders of the Japanese MMA company Pancrase.

Pancrase was the home to fighters like Bas Rutten as well as Ken and Frank Shamrock.

Funaki is the only fighter to defeat both Shamrocks as well as Bas Rutten. 

Dan Severn

Dan Severn is one of the most well-known fighters from the UFC's early days. 

Severn won two UFC tournaments in 1995 and became the Superfight Champion when he defeated Ken Shamrock at UFC 9. 

Although he only fought in the UFC twice following the win, he continued to fight in smaller promotions. 

Even today, at age 53, Severn continues to fight. He earned his 100th victory last April. 

Pat Miletich

Today Pat Miletich may be known for his commentary during Strikeforce fights and being one of the best MMA trainers. 

But during the '90s Miletich was one of the best fighters in the world. 

Miletich started his career 15-0. Before he came to the UFC he fought Dan Severn to a draw despite being much smaller. 

A few months after winning the UFC lightweight tournament at UFC 16, Miletich became the company's first welterweight champion. 

He defended the title four times before losing it to Carlos Newton. 

While he continued to fight, Miletich started to focus more on training other fighters. 

Some notable fighters Miletich has trained include Robbie Lawler, Jeremy Horn, Tim Sylvia and Matt Hughes. 

Frank Shamrock

Although Frank Shamrock may not be going to the UFC Hall of Fame anytime soon, he would enter an MMA one without any hesitation. 

Shamrock was one of the most dominant light heavyweights in the world when he was in his prime. 

Shamrock became the UFC's first light heavyweight champion in 1997. 

By 1999, Shamrock had claimed there was no competition for him and retired from the sport. 

Shamrock returned shortly after and became the WEC's first light heavyweight champion. He also became the first Strikeforce middleweight champion. 

Today Shamrock continues to support Strikeforce as he calls many of the company's fights. 

Ken Shamrock

Unlike his younger foster brother, Frank, Ken Shamrock is already in the UFC Hall of Fame. 

Despite his career taking a turn for the worse in recent years, he should still be a part of an MMA hall of fame. 

Shamrock was one of MMA's first major stars. He won the UFC superfight championship and had memorable feuds with Royce Gracie, Don Frye and Tito Ortiz.

Shamrock is also the only man to defeat Bas Rutten twice. 

Bas Rutten

One of the greatest characters and fighters in MMA history is Bas Rutten. 

Rutten made a name for himself in Pancrase. There he won the "King of Pancrase" title and defeated names like Frank Shamrock, Guy Mezger and Maurice Smith. 

Late in his career Rutten won the UFC heavyweight championship. 

Rutten later vacated the title in order to drop down a weight class, but after suffering multiple injuries while training, Rutten was forced to retire. 

Rutten had a successful career following his retirement as a color commentator for PRIDE FC. 

In 2006, Rutten returned to the cage for one fight only, ending his career on a 22-fight unbeaten streak. 

Chuck Liddell

Chuck Liddell was one of the most recognizable fighters during his prime. 

Liddell was the face of the UFC thanks to his signature mohawk and exciting knockouts. 

Some of Liddell's accolades include holding the record for most knockouts in UFC history, most wins in the light heavyweight division and successfully defending the UFC light heavyweight championship four times. 

Even after his retirement, Liddell remains one of the most beloved fighters in MMA history. 

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson

Some people may question this pick, especially given his most recent beef with the UFC. 

But Rampage is still one of the greatest fighters in MMA history. 

Getting his start in PRIDE, Jackson was known for his slams and powerful knockouts. He also went toe to toe with Wanderlei Silva at a time when Silva was nearly untouchable. 

Although he failed to capture a championship in PRIDE, Jackson was able to defeat Chuck Liddell to win the UFC light heavyweight title. 

Jackson has also defeated Dan Henderson, Lyoto Machida and finally got revenge on Silva inside the Octagon. 

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua

Another former UFC light heavyweight champ making the list is Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. 

Rua was nearly untouchable in PRIDE, going 12-1 and winning the 2005 middleweight grand prix. 

Although he's had a hot/cold UFC career thanks to injuries, Rua still managed to capture the light heavyweight title in 2010. 

Rua remains one of the most dangerous fighters in MMA today. Each of his UFC wins have come by Knockout or TKO. 

Dan Henderson

Wherever Dan Henderson goes, he seems to find ways to win a championship. 

Henderson won the UFC 17 middleweight tournament early in his career. 

It would then be in PRIDE where Henderson would make a name for himself though. 

Henderson would pick up victories over Vitor Belfort, Wanderlei Silva and Murilo Bustamante in PRIDE and was the company's final Welterweight (183 pounds) and middleweight (205 pounds) champion. 

Since PRIDE's fall, Henderson has boounced around between the UFC and Strikeforce.

He became Strikeforce light heavyweight champion and, at age 41, remains one of the best fighters in the world today. 

Tito Ortiz

Back when Tito Ortiz wasn't the people's champion, he was UFC light heavyweight champion. 

Ortiz has the record for most title defenses for the UFC light heavyweight title and has defeated names like Forrest Griffin, Ken Shamrock and Vitor Belfort along the way. 

Ortiz was one of the UFC's biggest stars during his prime and was one of the main reasons the company was able to survive during it's dark period. 

Matt Hughes

There are some people who say Georges St-Pierre is the greatest welterweight in MMA history. 

Then there are those who point out Matt Hughes resume. 

Hughes has the most wins in the welterweight division as well as the UFC with 18.

He also has defended the welterweight title seven times, has defeated every other UFC welterweight champion except Pat Miletich and has had the most combined days as welterweight champion. 

Hughes is one of the most accomplished fighters in MMA history and could be the greatest welterweight in the sports history. 

Urijah Faber

Urijah Faber may not be the biggest fighter in the world size wise, but he is one of the most recognizable fighters in MMA history. 

Faber has won bantamweight and featherweight titles over the course of his career, but made the most impact fighting for the WEC. 

Faber was the face of the company as he defeated big names like Jens Pulver, Cole Escovedo and rival Dominick Cruz. 

Faber held the WEC featherweight title for over two years and had the most consecutive title defenses in WEC history. 

BJ Penn

Whether you remember him winning a UFC championship in two different weight divisions, his fighting spirit or some of his more outspoken comments, you will remember BJ Penn. 

Penn may have won both the UFC welterweight and lightweight championships, but lightweight is the division where he truly shined. 

Penn holds the UFC records for the most wins in the lightweight division and most successful title defenses.  

Penn has defeated some of the biggest names in the sport including Matt Hughes, Matt Serra and fellow lightweight great Takanori Gomi. 

Mirko Cro Cop

"Right kick hospital, Left kick cemetery." 

Those words famously described what it could be like to face Mirko Cro Cop. 

The Croatian cop was a huge star in organizations like K-1 and PRIDE in Japan. 

In 2006 he was able to win the PRIDE world open weight grand prix championship.

Although he wasn't able to find the same success in his UFC career, Cro Cop will be remembered for being one of the most feared fighters in MMA history.

Kazushi Sakuraba

Considered by many to be the greatest Japanese fighter in MMA history, there's no doubt that Sakuraba would be in an MMA hall of fame. 

Sakuraba may not have ever been the biggest fighter or won a bunch of championships, but his willingness to fight bigger fighters and memorable entrances showed just how much fun a guy could have in the sport. 

What Sakuraba may be most famous for is his four wins over members of the Gracie family. This includes a 90-minute bout with Royce Gracie. 

Sakuraba also holds victories over Ken Shamrock, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Vitor Belfort. 

Sakuraba is one of the all time great characters in the sport and will be remembered for his heart and colorful personality. 

Georges St-Pierre

Current UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre is not only one of the greatest athletes in MMA history, but one of Canada's best. 

St-Pierre has defeated just about every top fighter in the division, holds the record for most consecutive title defenses in the UFC welterweight division and is perhaps the best game planner in MMA history. 

St-Pierre is also one of the nicest guys in the sport and could be the perfect poster boy as the sport goes mainstream. 

Although he's often criticized for not finishing fights, St-Pierre is without a doubt one of the greatest fighters in MMA history. 

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

There are only three men in MMA history to hold titles in both Pride and the UFC. 

Mark Coleman, Mauricio Rua and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. 

Nogueira is perhaps the toughest man to do it. 

Before he even fought in the sport, Nogueira had to overcome a lot as he was involved in a vehicular accident that nearly took his life as a child. 

Nogueira survived though, something that would be the theme of his career. 

He was PRIDE's first heavyweight champ and made some amazing come-from-behind victories thanks to his high level Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu game. 

In the UFC, Nogueira briefly captured the interim heavyweight title and picked up wins over Randy Couture, Tim Sylvia and Brendan Schaub. 

Although he's been plagued by injuries lately, he still remains one of the most loved fighters in MMA today. 

Anderson Silva

Do you really need an explanation why Silva would go into a MMA hall of fame?

Silva was good before he came to the UFC, posting a 17-4 record. 

But since making his UFC debut in 2006, Silva has been 14-0, captured the UFC middleweight title in only his second UFC fight, defended it nine times and has defeated some of the biggest names in the history of the sport. 

The scary thing about Silva is he has made the majority of his fights look easy. 

His opponents literally can't touch him. 

Silva has done things inside the Octagon that make you wonder if he's even human. 

Randy Couture

Randy Couture may be one of the most respected fighters in MMA history. 

A two-time UFC light heavyweight and three-time heavyweight champion, Couture proved that your career does not have to decline with age. 

Even well into his late 40s Couture managed to stay relevant in the sport. 

Couture was one of only two men to hold a UFC title in two different weight classes, has been in more championship fights than guys like Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre and is already in the UFC hall of fame. 

What makes Couture so respected is that through all of his success, he remains one of the most humble and respectable fighters in MMA history. 

Wanderlei Silva

Wanderlei Silva may not have the best UFC record, but there was a time when he was the most exciting, feared and respected fighter in all of MMA. 

Nicknamed "The Axe Murderer", Silva was the first and long reigning PRIDE middleweight champion. 

During his run in PRIDE, Silva had records for longest undefeated streak, most wins, most KO's, most title defenses and defeated Quinton "Rampage" Jackson twice. 

Silva may not have had the same amount of success in the UFC, but he is still one of the most popular fighters in the company. 

Whether he wins or loses, Silva's main priority is to put on a good show for the fans. 

Fedor Emelianenko

For nearly 10 years Fedor Emelianenko went undefeated. 

During this time he was PRIDE's heavyweight champion and defeated names like Mark Coleman, Mirko Cro Cop and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. 

Emelianenko did not have the flash that Anderson Silva has. He also didn't trash talk fighters like many others have done. 

All Emelianenko did was go into the ring and find a way to win. 

While he may always get criticized for not competing in the UFC, Emelianenko will always be one of the greatest fighters in MMA history. 

Royce Gracie

Royce Gracie is the man that really got the MMA ball rolling. 

Although MMA had some history before him in Brazil, it was Gracie's dominant performances in early UFC events that brought the sport to prominence. 

Gracie won three UFC tournaments in the '90s and still holds the record for most submission victories in the UFC. 

Without Gracie winning those early UFC events, there is no telling where MMA or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu would be right now. 

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