A Fan's Ballot for an MMA Hall of Fame

A recent discussion has cropped up on the logistics of a MMA Hall of Fame. The UFC has it's own Hall of Fame, an open MMA Hall of Fame would be very interesting.

I am attempting to pick just two fighters in each weightclass that would be in the first class inducted to this Hall of Fame. I am including fighters that are both retired or still fighting but attempting to only include active fighters with a career that is Hall of Fame worthy if they retired this instant, not basing anything on potential.

Heavyweight (207 lbs +)

Fedor Emelianenko: The most dominate fighter of this era, has lost one fight in his 31 fight career and has wiped the floor with some of the top heavyweights in MMA. A submission ace with serious stand-up power, he is one of the more well rounded fighters in the game.

Randy Couture: A UFC stand out, world class wrestler and a master of dirty boxing. He held both the heavy and light heavy titles in the UFC, has beaten elite fighters in both weightclass. On top of that runs one of the best gyms in the business.

Light Heavyweight (205 lbs)

Bas Rutten: One of the original MMA fighters, a Pancrase World Champion at 205 lbs for many years and even moved up to win the UFC Heavyweight title. Arguably the greatest MMA fighter ever, a must on any ballot.

Chuck Liddell: While Chuck has fallen on hard times, there is no denying his impact on MMA. He gave the strikers a toe hold in a sport that had largely been dominated by ground fighters.

While not an outstanding kickboxer, he had an amazing sprawl that forced fighters like Tito Ortiz and Randy Couture to stand up and eat his hooks.

Middleweight (185 lbs)

Anderson Silva: A human buzzsaw who has coasted through the top competition in his weightclass to a 10 fight winning streak. Dominating, devastating striking and excellent ground skills, possibly one of the best fighters of all time.

Dan Henderson: Hendo is simply an outstanding fighter who gets almost no credit. Never KOed, submitted only once and the owner of 24 hard fought wins and both the Pride Middleweight and Light Heavyweight belts. His only loss to a true 185lber was to Anderson Silva.

Welterweight (170 lbs)

Royce Gracie: While officially a welterweight under today's rules, Royce was mainly in a era before weightclasses. He submitted fighters anywhere from 20 to 200 lbs heavier than him. One of the founders of the UFC, and just an outstanding fighter.

Matt Hughes: One of the most dominate UFC champions with an amazing 43-7 record. Owner of an 18 win streak and a imposing ground game he presents one of the toughest challenges every faced in the octagon.

Lightweight (155 lbs)

Takanori Gomi: The fireball kid has been around seemingly forever as his 30-5 record suggests. Legendary Japanese fighter he dominated Shooto and PRIDE and is still one of the more feared 155 lbers out there.

Sean Sherk: It took Sherk 18 pro fights to taste his first defeat and he disliked losing so much he ran off another 12 victories before recording his second loss. A steady fighter with amazing physical gifts, his dominance the 155 lbers gets him in.

I know that many would put BJ Penn in over Sherk, but I feel Penn is on the cusp of either becoming an amazing Hall of Fame fighter or being remember as a guy with amazing talent that almost became great.