Tito Ortiz and Others Who Could Be Inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame

The UFC Hall of Fame is home to some of the UFC's biggest stars of the past. It is the home of a select few as of now, but when more old timers begin to hang up the gloves, who will be inducted next?

Currently, the UFC Hall of Fame is occupied by Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, Randy Couture, Mark Coleman, Chuck Liddell, Matt Hughes and Charles "Mask" Lewis, deceased Tapout brand spokesman.

With a UFC Fan Expo coming up in a couple of months in Las Vegas, it is not hard to imagine the UFC possibly inducting a fighter or two into its prestigious glory.

Let's take a look at who could be next.

BJ Penn

BJ Penn has "retired" following a loss to Nick Diaz, but he is already back in talks with the UFC on returning sometime this year.

That said, "The Prodigy" is most likely an automatic nod whenever the UFC decides to induct him.

Penn is a multi-division champ, having held the lightweight and welterweight championships during his tenure. Penn is constantly taking on top talent, thus solidifying his position as a top fighter in the history of the company.

Whenever the UFC decides to induct somebody new into the Hall of Fame, you can be certain Penn will be one of the guys they call.

Tito Ortiz

Although he has had a long, storied relationship with Dana White, Tito Ortiz is a lock for the Hall of Fame. And seeing how he is looking to retire after his next fight, this would be the perfect chance to induct the "Huntington Beach Bad Boy." (I refuse to call him "The People's Champ." That honor goes to Mr. Sonnen and myself.)

Ortiz has been a fan favorite his whole career, is a former UFC light heavyweight champion and has put on some of the top fights in UFC history.

His brash attitude and bag of excuses may have deterred some fans from him throughout his career, but it is without a doubt that Tito helped lay the ground work for MMA today.

Make his last fight the weekend of the Fan Expo, as this would be the perfect opportunity to give him the send off he most likely deserves.

Mirko Cro Cop

Mirko Cro Cop may have spent the best years of his career in Pride, but does the UFC not own the rights to everything that was Pride?

Pride fighters deserve to be enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame, as they have nowhere else to be recognized. (That's why they need a full-on MMA Hall of Fame.)

Cro Cop won the Pride Open-Weight Grand Prix in 2006 and is undoubtedly one of the most popular fighters of all time. His phrase, "Right leg hospital, left leg cemetery," is legendary in the MMA community, almost as much as the head kicks were.

It would be a shame to see one of MMA's greatest fighters go unappreciated, and seeing how he just retired from MMA, the action should be taken to induct him.

Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar

How fitting would it be to induct both of these guys into the UFC Hall of Fame at the same time?

Sure, Bonnar may not be the most successful fighter. And sure, Forrest Griffin cannot be spoken of as if he is one of the all-time greats. But what Griffin and Bonnar did for the UFC when they fought at the Ultimate Fighter Finale 1, definitely helped the UFC get where they are today.

Griffin is a former UFC light heavyweight champion that never turns down a fight nor backs down when he is in the cage.

In addition to fighting, Bonnar is the ultimate company man. Whether it is making appearances, hosting television segments or being a color commentator/analyst, Bonnar has earned a spot in the UFC Hall of Fame.

Perhaps these two will be the next inductees.

Kenny Florian

Kenny Florian is another company man like Stephan Bonnar. Florian does everything from analyze fights in pre/post-fight shows to color commentate and of course, fight.

In addition to that, Florian has fought in a whopping four different weight classes while employed by the UFC.

Some may argue that he is 0-3 in title fights, but that may help me argue him into the Hall of Fame as well. He earned three title fights, thus proving a long reign in the Top Five of his division for years.

With a back injury that may force him to retire soon, this is definitely not out of the question. A Hall of Fame nod couldn't be offered to a nicer guy.

Rich Franklin

Rich Franklin was the original king of the middleweight division. The former champion was almost untouchable in the prime of his career, as he refuted many challengers.

These days Franklin looks to stay competitive, but it is obvious that he has nothing left to prove in MMA.

Franklin is nearing his end, and it would be a travesty if he were not inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. Dana White absolutely loves Franklin, and for good reason, leading me to believe that Franklin will be enshrined as soon as possible.

Franklin has fought the best there is to offer, has done it with grace and has always shown the best sportsmanship, which in turn has bettered the image of MMA.

Anderson Silva

Which leads me to the current king of the middleweight division, Anderson Silva.

Silva keeps going back and forth on when he wants to retire. One day he only has one fight left in him. The next day he wants to fight for a couple more years.

Either way, the man has never lost a fight in the UFC and has the record for most title defenses ever. He is arguably the greatest mixed martial artist of all time.

For those reasons, Silva is an immortal lock for the Hall of Fame. Whenever the UFC decides it necessary to invite somebody to the Hall of Fame, there is no doubt in my mind Anderson Silva will get a call. There is no reason he shouldn't.

Who else do you think could be put in the Hall of Fame? Leave your comments below!