5 most surprising inductees into the UFC Hall of Fame

#4. Marc Ratner

Many fans would not recognise Marc Ratner, but his work helped MMA to be legalised across the planet

The UFC Hall of Fame doesn’t just contain legendary fighters from its past, it also contains a ‘Contributor Wing’. The section is reserved for people who had a large impact on the promotion and the sport of MMA as a whole.

Of course, as many of these people worked behind the scenes rather than in front of the camera, it stands to reason that a lot of casual fans would probably be surprised to see them in the Hall of Fame, particularly ahead of more visible figures like Dana White and Bruce Buffer.

One name that might surprise fans is that of Marc Ratner. However, if you look beneath the surface, it’s very easy to understand exactly why he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in late 2021.

For those who are unaware, Ratner was part of the Nevada State Athletic Commission from 1985 until his departure in 2006. During that period, he was widely credited with bringing the sport of MMA, and by proxy, the UFC, into the state, including Las Vegas, by embracing the sport’s Unified Rules.

It’s the work that Ratner did after he joined the UFC itself in 2006 that really explains his entry into the Hall, however. Despite working almost entirely behind the scenes, Ratner was the man responsible for helping to legalize MMA in almost every new market that the promotion broke into following his arrival there, including the remaining 50 states of the US.

It’s unlikely that any casual fans of the promotion would recognize Ratner if he were to walk past them in the street, meaning he’s a surprise Hall of Famer, but in truth, his position there was definitely well earned.

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#3. Clay Guida – current UFC lightweight

Clay Guida was inducted into the Hall of Fame for his bout with Diego Sanchez

Okay, so it might be cheating a little to class current UFC lightweight Clay Guida as an inductee of the promotion’s Hall of Fame outright. In fact, ‘The Carpenter’ has not been inducted into either the Pioneer or Modern Wings.

Instead, his place in the Hall comes from the Fight Wing, which inducts some of the most legendary clashes in UFC history. Guida, who has had a total of 33 bouts in the promotion, was inducted in 2019 for his wild brawl with Diego Sanchez which took place a decade earlier.

What makes Guida’s appearance in the Hall of Fame surprising is the fact that while his bout with Sanchez was excellent, largely claiming the Fight of the Year awards for 2009, it probably wouldn’t be considered as one of the greatest fights in history by most fans.

In fact, many would probably state that Sanchez had better fights with Nick Diaz, Karo Parisyan and Gilbert Melendez, while Guida’s war with Roger Huerta stands out as his best fight inside the octagon.

Given that the Hall of Fame has only inducted six bouts into its Fight Wing thus far, with Cub Swanson vs. Doo Ho Choi set to join them soon, there’s plenty of time for the promotion to add more legendary clashes, but the presence of Guida is still a bit of a stunner in a number of ways.