For over 30 years, the UFC has been home to some legendary fighters and moments. Some were dominant champions, while others ended up becoming fan favorites.
The Hall of Fame recognizes fighters, fights, and contributors (those outside of fighting). Representation comes from various promotions, including the UFC, PRIDE, the WEC, and Strikeforce. Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock, one of the first fighters to compete in a UFC cage, were inducted in the opening ceremony in 2003.
International Fight Week in July has become a tradition for the induction ceremony. This year, the ceremony for the UFC Hall of Fame will be on July 6 inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Airing on UFC FIGHT PASS, it is the appetizer before UFC 290 on July 8.
Who will join the likes of Gracie, Shamrock, Dan Severn, Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin, Ronda Rousey, Georges St-Pierre, and Art Davie?
MORE: Sign up to watch the UFC 290 PPV, exclusively on ESPN+
The Sporting News breaks down the UFC Hall of Fame 2023 class.
Who is in the UFC Hall of Fame Class of 2023?
Anderson Silva
One of the greatest combat sports athletes of all time, Anderson Silva helped popularize the UFC and will enter its Pioneers Wing.
Turning pro in 1997, Silva fought for Mecca, Shooto, and PRIDE, before debuting for the UFC in 2006. As the UFC continued its growth, Silva dominated the competition from 2006 to 2013. Winning the UFC middleweight title against Rich Franklin, Silva defended the belt 10 times, beating the likes of Dan Henderson, Forrest Griffin, Demian Maia, Chael Sonnen, and Vitor Belfort. Several top moments of his career include a front-kick win against Belfort and "Entering the Matrix" against Forrest Griffin.
"The Spider" holds numerous records, including:
- Longest win streak (16)
- Longest finish streak (8) in modern UFC history
- Longest title reign (2,457 days) in UFC history
- Most successful title defenses (10) in UFC middleweight history
While he ended his UFC career on a 1-7 run with one no-contest and suffered numerous injuries, the respect for the Brazilian by the MMA community is unmatched.
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"Anderson Silva is one of the greatest athletes of all time," UFC President Dana White said. "Anderson's 16-fight winning streak in the UFC, 10 successful title defenses, and almost seven years as middleweight champion were one of the most remarkable things we've ever seen in professional sports. He was an absolute artist inside the Octagon, and it will be an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer."
Silva now boxes, compiling a 3-2 record after just recently facing Jake Paul in October 2022.
Jose Aldo
A member of the Modern Wing, Jose Aldo was the first inductee announced for the 2023 UFC Hall of Fame.
"Jose Aldo is the greatest featherweight of all time," said White. "From WEC to UFC, Jose helped us build the sport of MMA and UFC as a brand, as well as change the perception of the smaller weight classes and what they could accomplish inside the Octagon. It will be an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer."
The Brazilian won several jiu-jitsu tournaments and turned pro in 2004. Making himself known in the WEC, Aldo beat Mike Brown in 2009 to win the WEC featherweight title. When the UFC bought the division, he became its first featherweight champion after beating Manny Gamburyan. From there, he went on a legendary run where he defended the title seven times — a UFC record.
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Aldo had an 18-fight win streak end at the hands of Conor McGregor, but he would not let that be his lasting legacy. The 36-year-old went on to fight for featherweight and bantamweight gold, facing some of the best the UFC had to offer.
On the verge of another title shot, Aldo lost against Merab Dvalishvili in August 2022, ending a three-fight win streak. Aldo has since turned his attention to boxing. Just like Silva, there will never be another quite like him.
Jens Pulver
Entering the Pioneer Wing, Jens Pulver's induction into the UFC Hall of Fame is a long time coming.
Born in Washington, Pulver was an NJCAA All-American and turned pro in 1999. Joining the UFC, he sporadically appeared for the company until he became the first UFC lightweight champion in 2001. Pulver coached The Ultimate Fighter in 2007, facing rival B.J. Penn.
"Jens Pulver is a pioneer of the sport who was not only the first lightweight champion in UFC history but someone who delivered some of the sport's most memorable moments," said White. "No one will ever forget his knockout of John Lewis or his win over B.J. Penn in their first fight, and his fight against Urijah Faber in 2008 was the biggest fight in WEC history at the time. Jens could do it all in the Octagon, and it will be an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer."
After his run in the UFC, he appeared in promotions like Shooto, PRIDE, the WEC, and ONE FC. Within the WEC, he had a fun run at featherweight, where he had a rivalry with featherweight champion Urijah Faber.
The career record of "'Lil' Evil" stands at 27-19-1, having faced some of the best fighters in MMA. He is a true pioneer and will get treated as such in Las Vegas.
Donald Cerrone
"Busy" comes to mind when one thinks of Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone. The always active UFC fighter will enter the Modern wing.
While he never won a UFC title, Cerrone holds the records for most knockdowns (20) in UFC history and the most wins (29) in Zuffa, LLA (UFC, PRIDE, WEC, Strikeforce) history. He's tied for second in most wins (23) all-time in UFC.
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Turning pro in 2006, the Colorado-born Cerrone has faced the likes of Benson Henderson, Charles Oliveira, Nate Diaz, Anthony Pettis, Rafael dos Anjos, Jim Miller, Eddie Alvarez, Robbie Lawler, Tony Ferguson, and Conor McGregor. He was never one to say no to a fight, competing in 12 bouts from 2018-2022.
"Cowboy Cerrone is one of the best lightweights in UFC history," White said. "Cowboy consistently fought the best of the best for over a decade inside the Octagon and set a ton of records in the process. He was also a complete savage who would fight anyone at any time. He is a true legend, and it will be an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame as part of International Fight Week."
Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald II (UFC 189, 2015)
In one of the most violent fights in UFC history, Robbie Lawler and Rory MacDonald put it all on the line for the UFC welterweight title. The bout, which ended in the fifth round, will forever be linked to greatness in the UFC Hall of Fame.
It will be a special week for Lawler as he competes in his last fight at UFC 290.
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Lawler and MacDonald first met at UFC 167 in 2013, with Lawler winning via split decision. The two faced off two years later at UFC 189, with Lawler as the UFC welterweight champion. At 25, MacDonald was considered a rising and violent star. The fight was a back-and-forth classic, with both showing grit unseen before. They bludgeoned one another for several minutes, resulting in an epic staredown.
Suffering massive damage by round five, MacDonald finally went down, and Lawler earned the stoppage win. It has been impossible to top this fight since as it continues to stand the test of time.
"The fight between Robbie Lawler and Rory McDonald at UFC 189 was one of the most exciting fights in UFC history," White said. "This was an absolute war and a complete display of heart, grit, determination, and the will to win from both athletes. This five-round classic will always be remembered as one of the best, and I can't wait to induct this fight into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer."