UFC Hall of Famers Present and Future.

Highnoon · 06-02-2009 7:29pm #1

Just making my way through the old UFCs. Just saw Ultimate 96. Was excited to see the current Hall of Famers' in their glory days. Not wishing to bash anyone but don't really see why Ken Shamrock is one.

Royce Gracie won 3 tournaments.
Dan Severn won 2 tournaments.
Mark Coleman won 2 tournaments.
Randy Couture held belts at two weights and still fights at a high level.

Shamrock never won any Tournaments, didn't even make a final and only seems to have got the Superfight because of his fame in Japan and perhaps the UFC at the time were looking for a poster boy. I mean Gracie beat him UFC 1 - the end. The Superfight was a snorefest. He did fight impressively against Severn in their first fight though. Can't understand how Kimo got a shot with only 1 UFC fight and a loss at that - even if he did 'shock the world' by giving Royce a run for his money.

Don Frye deserves Hall of Fame status, though maybe he needs to return to the UFC to be recognised or retire.

Tank Abbott deserves it for reaching 2 finals (if memory serves) and being a tad unlucky against Frye to lose. Again maybe he needs to retire.

Future Hall of Famers - Matt Hughes, Chuck Liddell, BJ Penn.

Did Pride or any others have Hall of Famers?

rovert · 06-02-2009 7:33pm

Ken Shamrock is a pioneer thats why.

Highnoon · 06-02-2009 7:40pm

Don't really agree. Maybe he was great in Japan - must have been if they were making action dolls and he had his own comic and he deserves a high status there but in the UFC he didn't really set the world on fire. Superfights ended up being fights between tournament winners which Shamrock never won. He got that shot in my opinion because of his success in Japan and fair play he took it. I think with all the hype that accompanied him he didn't really deliver.

rovert · 06-02-2009 7:42pm

Highnoon wrote: »

Don't really agree. Maybe he was great in Japan - must have been if they were making action dolls and he had his own comic and he deserves a high status there but in the UFC he didn't really set the world on fire. Superfights ended up being fights between tournament winners which Shamrock never won. He got that shot in my opinion because of his success in Japan and fair play he took it. I think with all the hype that accompanied him he didn't really deliver.

Sherdogesque

Highnoon · 06-02-2009 7:43pm

Er what?

agardiner22 · 06-02-2009 7:56pm

WAMMA should have an MMA hall of fame with all the great pioneers of the sport in it, 1st on my List would be El Guapo

Highnoon · 06-02-2009 8:03pm

Bas Rutten? Agreed no argument there. Haven't seen many of his fights but even when I had just discovered MMA I was aware of him. Jumping splits tend to stay in ones memory

Pride Fighter · 06-02-2009 8:45pm

Highnoon wrote: »

Don't really agree. Maybe he was great in Japan - must have been if they were making action dolls and he had his own comic and he deserves a high status there but in the UFC he didn't really set the world on fire. Superfights ended up being fights between tournament winners which Shamrock never won. He got that shot in my opinion because of his success in Japan and fair play he took it. I think with all the hype that accompanied him he didn't really deliver.

He could have won the UFC 3 tournament but dropped out when he found out Royce was unable to fight, he wanted to win against a somebody, not some nobody like Harold Howard or Steve Jenum. Shamrock was great in the early UFC's. He missed out on his prime years and chose to make some dollars doing pro-wrestling. Had he continued to fight instead he would be considered even more great than he is. I think Shamrock is tarnished by his recent sub-par performances. The guy is a legend.

ginoginelli · 06-02-2009 9:39pm

Pride Fighter wrote: »

He could have won the UFC 3 tournament but dropped out when he found out Royce was unable to fight, he wanted to win against a somebody, not some nobody like Harold Howard or Steve Jenum. Shamrock was great in the early UFC's. He missed out on his prime years and chose to make some dollars doing pro-wrestling. Had he continued to fight instead he would be considered even more great than he is. I think Shamrock is tarnished by his recent sub-par performances. The guy is a legend.

Thats too hypothetical for me. Could have, should have etc. He should be judged on his accomplishments and not what could have been..

The mans is a pioneer though no doubt.

agardiner22 · 06-02-2009 11:48pm

Ken actually got injured in his semi and steve jennum took his place without having to win a match

Highnoon · 08-02-2009 2:04am

Going off topic - apologies but my god Joe Rogan looks totally different on UFC 12. Has more hair, very thin, very very young and very brown. His interview technique is also very good.

Back on topic - Vitor Belfort just made his debut and was very impressive. Had to look of a Hall of Famer in the making. What happened? Saw him against Randy years later and disappeared after that. Japan?

JohnMc1 · 08-02-2009 2:54am

Highnoon wrote: »

Back on topic - Vitor Belfort just made his debut and was very impressive. Had to look of a Hall of Famer in the making. What happened?

A fight with Randy at UFC 14 [IIRC] happened. Belfort has been hit and miss [mostly miss] since then.

dunkamania · 08-02-2009 3:53am

I think he is looking pretty good at middleweight.

He is supposedly out of contract with Affliction, so a return to UFC is possible

Kent Brockman · 08-02-2009 3:47pm

Highnoon wrote: »

Back on topic - Vitor Belfort just made his debut and was very impressive. Had to look of a Hall of Famer in the making. What happened? Saw him against Randy years later and disappeared after that. Japan?

He seems to move around a bit Pride/Cage Rage/UFC and most recently Affliction. 2 or 3 fights per year.
He fought twice in cage rage in 2007 (21&23) beating Ivan Serati and Zicik,who was champ at the time.
KO'd Terry Martin in Affliction in 2008 and had a real quick KO of Matt Lindland on jan24 this year, again with Affliction. (it was on Bravo). Think he had a pro Boxing match or2 aswell.

He should be well capable of competing in the UFC and is always interesting to watch.

Fromvert · 08-02-2009 8:25pm

Id love to see Don Frye and Bas Rutten get in. Two of the best IMO

agardiner22 · 08-02-2009 11:14pm

Well Bas cant fight anymore because of his knees, He just had surgery on them the day b4 affliction and that is just to get him around w/o pain

Fozzy · 09-02-2009 3:07am

agardiner22 wrote: »

Well Bas cant fight anymore because of his knees, He just had surgery on them the day b4 affliction and that is just to get him around w/o pain

That doesn't stop him from entering a hall of fame though, does it?

He won't get in for a while anyway, for other reasons

Pride Fighter · 09-02-2009 3:22am

Fozzy wrote: »

That doesn't stop him from entering a hall of fame though, does it?

He won't get in for a while anyway, for other reasons

He will never get in, 2 wins is not enough. They should have another hall, the hall of merit or something like that were people can get in and be honoured. Someone like Bas, Maurice Smith, Randleman, Miletich and some others could be put in there.

Fromvert · 12-02-2009 3:35am

Tito has to get in, him and Chuck were the UFC's main stars just as it was coming main stream. The only thing that could stop it would be his relationship with Dana but it shouldnt. He was great in his prime and id like to see him get himself right and have a few more fights. I can dream.

Professey Chin · 12-02-2009 11:07am

Frye should get in definately but for 2 very special reasons
1. The tash
2. The Takayama fight at Pride 21

Besides him Bas, Tito, Chuck(even though im not a fan, popularity plays a big part), Hughes and Art Jimmerson for being an idiot

EDIT: How the hell could I forget Miletich.

LeoGilly · 12-02-2009 6:22pm

I'm sure we'll see Forest or even Bonnar. Their fight is considered the turning point in the UFC becoming mainstream. And relaunched the whole organisation and a couple of million new fans.

cmb. · 12-02-2009 7:03pm

bas had 3 mma fights - pancrase is not mma (rope breaks, opn hand strikes, fixed fights etc disqualify it for me - not trying to start **** here but lets be honest)

in those three he was getting beaten for most of the tk fight, randleman was robbed in their fight and a fight against journeyman villareal - hardly fall of fame material - the legend of bas is much bigger than any of his actual accomplishments

as for deserving HOF fighters - frank is much more deserving than ken but lets be honest - not going to happen, miletich is also deserving but again not going to happen, nog also reservs a place in a HOF but obviously its for his pride & rings fights

non ufc fighter deserving would include saku - yes i know he had 2 ufc fights but he is not a ufc fighter & his accomplishments were in the pride ring - though some of the early fights also have question marks over them

Highnoon · 13-02-2009 6:52pm

I'd say there's an excellent chance we'll get another HOF (maybe more than one?) at UFC 100. Though it would probably be best if it's only one guy at a time. Kind of ruins the night if you have to share the limelight with someone else. That being said the big 100 is a significant number so who knows they may not want to 'waste' it on one person?

UFC Hall of Famers Present and Future.

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