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Posted 05/19/2009 at 02:10 AM
The Ultimate Fighting Championship announced recently that they will be adding two new fighters to the Hall of Fame. The esteemed list currently has five fighters, many who were pioneers of mixed martial arts. Brazilian jiu-jitsu master Royce Gracie, Dan 'The Beast' Severn, Mark 'The Hammer' Coleman, Randy 'The Natural' Couture and Ken Shamrock.
Ironically, all of the fighters except for Gracie are still relatively active including Coleman and Couture who are still fighting in the UFC. While most other professional sports (MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL) require that the player be retired for five years, there is no stipulation for the UFC. In fact, nobody is really sure what the qualifications are to be so honored.
So the speculation begins on what two fighters will join this prestigious group. The newest entrant in July will probably be Chuck 'The Iceman' Liddell who was the popular UFC light heavyweight champion and most recognizable fighter for many years. His last fight occurred at UFC 97 against Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua that ended in a first-round knockout loss, and his retirement appears to be at hand.
The other possibility is Matt Hughes, the dominant welterweight champion who will be fighting at UFC 98 against rival Matt 'The Terror' Serra. Hughes has not stated whether or not this will be his last fight, but he dominated the sports' deepest division for many years and is nowhere near getting another shot at the title. What better way for the 'Country Boy' to go out than to defeat his rival and enter the Hall.
There are also a couple of interesting possibilites that could make the UFC's Hall of Fame. Tito Ortiz was the face of the UFC when Zuffa bought the company in 2001, and has been involved two of the sports' biggest pay-per-view events. However, his feud with UFC President Dana White makes that highly improbable regardless of his credentials.
There is also a chance that former middleweight champion Evan Tanner could be announced in the Hall of Fame. The 37-year-old lost his life last summer due to exposure in the California desert, but was a popular fighter inside and outside of the octagon. Tapout founder Charles 'Mask' Lewis might also be announced as the latest UFC Hall of Fame member, who began the company by selling t-shirts out of the trunk of his car before turning it into a multi million-dollar business. Tapout routinely sponsored fighters, and has been a key component in the popularity of MMA in the United States.
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