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Entry into the UFC’s Hall of Fame has quickly become a big deal in MMA, and the majority of the sport’s legends have now been inducted.
Despite the UFC’s Hall of Fame being full of legends, there are still some notable fighters who have not yet made it in, for various reasons.
Whether some of these fighters will be entered into the Hall in the future remains to be seen. However, it’s clear that they’ve more than earned it.
Here are the five best fighters to not be entered into the UFC’s Hall of Fame.
Note: Active fighters and fighters who have never competed in the UFC have not been considered.
#5. Frank Mir – former UFC heavyweight champion
One of the most accomplished heavyweight fighters in UFC history, there’s absolutely no doubt that Frank Mir belongs in the promotion’s Hall of Fame. Quite why he hasn’t been inducted yet is a mystery.
Mir burst onto the scene in the early 2000’s as a young and hugely talented submission fighter, tapping out the likes of Tank Abbott and Pete Williams before snapping Tim Sylvia’s arm in 2004 to become the new heavyweight champion.
It looked like a legendary run was about to begin, but disaster struck when Mir suffered a broken leg in a motorcycle accident.
Forced to vacate his title, Mir returned after over a year on the shelf and didn’t look like the same fighter. However, he managed to turn things around after a couple of bad losses, and got his career back on track by submitting former WWE champion Brock Lesnar in his octagon debut.
From there, Mir’s career skyrocketed once again. He became interim heavyweight champion by knocking out the legendary Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. And while he failed to unify the titles in his rematch with Lesnar, he still picked up massive wins over top-rated heavyweights like Mirko Cro Cop, Cheick Kongo, Roy Nelson, and Antonio Silva.
Mir’s octagon career eventually ended in 2016 and he had a brief run in Bellator, but now seems firmly retired. In that sense, he ought to be inducted into the Hall of Fame soon – and could be used as an analyst by the promotion too.
#4. Shogun Rua – former UFC light heavyweight champion
While his reign as UFC light heavyweight champion didn’t go so well, and he clearly held on far too long before retiring earlier this year, Shogun Rua ought to be a lock for the Hall of Fame.
If anything, the Brazilian probably did enough during his career with PRIDE to become a Hall of Famer, even before he first fought in the octagon in 2007. Shogun won PRIDE’s 2005 205-pound Grand Prix, beating the likes of Rampage Jackson, Rogerio Nogueira, and Alistair Overeem along the way.
By the time he joined the UFC, he was widely recognized as one of the best light heavyweights in the world, but his early octagon career didn’t quite work out. Banged up from his time in PRIDE, he lost to Forrest Griffin in his debut and then struggled past an ancient Mark Coleman in his second bout.
However, he recovered in 2009, and after knocking out Chuck Liddell, he then came out on the wrong side of a terrible judging decision in a title fight with Lyoto Machida.
A rematch months later saw Shogun knock ‘The Dragon’ out, though, making him the new champion and one of the few fighters to hold gold in the UFC and PRIDE.
The Brazilian held the title for a year, but made no defenses before losing it to Jon Jones in 2011. However, he still beat the likes of Brandon Vera, Corey Anderson, and Tyson Pedro even as his career waned.
One of the most exciting fighters to watch in MMA history, Shogun’s accomplishments speak for themselves and he definitely belongs in the Hall of Fame.
#3. Amanda Nunes – former UFC bantamweight and featherweight champion
While former UFC bantamweight champ Amanda Nunes has not yet been entered into the Hall of Fame, it’s only a matter of time before her induction.
Put simply, ‘The Lioness’ is the greatest female fighter in the history of MMA, and her accomplishments are likely to stand the test of time forever.
The Brazilian joined the promotion in 2013 and after winning five of her first six bouts, faced Miesha Tate for the bantamweight title in the main event of the huge UFC 200 event.
Nunes destroyed ‘Cupcake’ to claim the gold and then defended it successfully on five occasions, beating the likes of Ronda Rousey, Holly Holm, and Valentina Shevchenko.
During this period she also claimed the featherweight title from Cris Cyborg, and made two defenses of that belt as well.
Even when she was eventually dethroned by Julianna Pena in 2021, ‘The Lioness’ came roaring back, beating ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ in a rematch before securing one final defense against Irene Aldana before retiring.
By the time she hung up her gloves, Nunes held no fewer than nine wins over former or then-UFC champions, an accomplishment that nobody else could ever boast of. Her career is the very definition of a Hall of Fame one.
#2. Vitor Belfort – former UFC light heavyweight champion
Given that he headlined UFC events in the 1990’s, 2000’s, and 2010’s, as well as holding the light heavyweight title briefly, quite why Vitor Belfort hasn’t been inducted into the Hall of Fame is a mystery.
‘The Phenom’ burst onto the scene as a 19-year old in 1997 and won the heavyweight tournament at UFC 12 with two knockouts. He then headlined the promotion’s next show, stopping Tank Abbott.
A loss to Randy Couture derailed him slightly, but he still produced a classic highlight reel moment to knock out Wanderlei Silva before moving to PRIDE in 1999, where he found a decent, if unspectacular level of success.
Belfort returned to the octagon in 2002, and eventually claimed light heavyweight gold, albeit in controversial fashion, by beating Randy Couture in 2004.
While his title reign was brief, ‘The Phenom’ was always a strong headliner for the promotion, and after another period in the wilderness, he returned in 2009, this time at 185 pounds.
This iteration of Belfort didn’t win gold in the octagon, but his knockouts of Dan Henderson, Yoshihiro Akiyama, and Luke Rockhold only added to his legend as one of the hardest hitters in MMA history.
‘The Phenom’ eventually retired in 2018 after a string of losses. While the controversy around his use of testosterone stands as a slight black mark against him, his sheer longevity and the success he had should make him a lock for the Hall of Fame.
#1. Frank Shamrock – former UFC middleweight champion
The most egregious omission from the UFC’s Hall of Fame is undoubtedly Frank Shamrock. Unfortunately, a very personal feud with Dana White means that he’ll probably never be inducted, and this arguably stands as a black mark on the Hall itself.
Shamrock entered the octagon for the first time back in 1997 after a successful run in Japan. At the time, he was largely in the shadow of his adopted brother Ken, one of the UFC’s first true stars.
That quickly changed when he armbarred Olympic wrestler Kevin Jackson to claim the inaugural middleweight (eventually light heavyweight) title. From there, his career skyrocketed.
Shamrock defended his title successfully on four occasions, turning back the challenges of Igor Zinoviev, Jeremy Horn, John Lober and Tito Ortiz. The last of those bouts was widely recognized as the greatest fight of MMA’s early years.
After his win over Ortiz, Shamrock stepped away from the sport and looked set to remain with the UFC as an analyst, but when Zuffa bought the promotion out in 2001, things quickly soured.
Shamrock did return to action much later in the 2000’s with Strikeforce, but despite picking up some fun victories, his later career was largely a disappointment. However, his accomplishments in the octagon stand the test of time, and with his well-rounded skills and athleticism, he was definitely light years ahead of his time.
Essentially, Shamrock should be a lock for the Hall of Fame – and with hope, he can bury the hatchet with White in the future and take his well-earned spot there.
