'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUI/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwT/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAJugSZ//xAAgEAABBAICAwEAAAAAAAAAAAACAQMEBQYRADIVISQz/9oACAEBAAE/ALGZMxrzD0K1tC09KBgCkl8jauF+a77eu3MHuClYXQSJDr7rztfHMzNdkRK2O1Xn/8QAFhEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgAR/9oACAECAQE/AC1l/8QAFhEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgAB/9oACAEDAQE/AEcv/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
This weekend, MMA fans were stunned when former PRIDE champion Wanderlei Silva was announced as the latest entry into the UFC’s Hall of Fame.
Wanderlei Silva is undoubtedly a legend of the sport, but it’s fair to say that his UFC career ended under a black cloud for numerous reasons.
However, ‘The Axe Murderer’ isn’t the only Hall of Fame entrant to have ended his octagon career under inauspicious circumstances.
Here are five UFC Hall of Famers who ended their careers under a black cloud.
#5. Wanderlei Silva – former UFC light-heavyweight contender
The latest entrant into the UFC’s Hall of Fame, Wanderlei Silva’s spot in the Pioneer Wing, was confirmed this weekend, and the Brazilian star will be officially enshrined later this year.
It’s probably fair to say that ‘The Axe Murderer’ has earned his slot in the Hall for his work in PRIDE rather than inside the UFC octagon. After all, it was in the Japanese promotion that he put together an unbeaten streak that lasted four years and encompassed 18 bouts.
In the UFC, Silva was not so successful in either of his runs, although he did score some highlight-reel knockouts and big wins.
However, it’s the way in which the Brazilian’s career with the promotion ended that makes his Hall of Fame entry more than a little surprising.
In 2014, Silva was chosen to coach the third season of TUF: Brazil against his bitter rival, Chael Sonnen, in what looked to become one of the biggest fights in octagon history.
However, in the months leading to their planned fight date, ‘The Axe Murderer’ refused to undergo a random drug test from the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
The refusal resulted in his instant removal from the fight and, later, landed him with a lifetime ban from MMA as well as a hefty fine.
If that had put Silva on the outs with Dana White and company, worse was to come when the Brazilian accused the promotion of fixing fights.
Later, of course, Silva apologized for the accusations and even had his ban lifted, although he never fought in the octagon again.
Still, though, it’s fair to say that his active career with the promotion ended under a black cloud, meaning that the announcement of his induction came as a pleasant surprise to many fans.
#4. Anderson Silva – former UFC middleweight champion
Given his accomplishments inside the octagon, it would be crazy to imagine a UFC Hall of Fame that didn’t include legendary former middleweight champion Anderson Silva.
‘The Spider’ ruled the 185-pound division with an iron fist from 2006 through to his eventual title loss in 2013, and his record of 16 consecutive wins in the octagon still stands today.
However, it’s also safe to say that despite his legendary status, Silva’s career definitely ended under a black cloud of sorts.
Nobody could really hold his two losses in 2013 to Chris Weidman against him. After all, his title reign had to end at some point, and while ‘The All-American’ didn’t go onto a dominant reign of his own, he was a great fighter at that point.
However, when his return victory over Nick Diaz was overturned when he tested positive for banned substances, many fans began to question his entire legacy.
Whether or not Silva had used PEDs throughout his dominant reign remains somewhat of a question mark, but it’s safe to say that the latter stage of his career was not so impressive.
After his first loss to Weidman, in fact, he only won once more in his subsequent eight bouts, a questionable decision victory over Derek Brunson.
Essentially, the combination of the positive drug test and the losing streak he ended his career with definitely put a dent in his overall status, even if nobody could question his spot in the Hall of Fame.
#3. Ken Shamrock – former UFC superfight champion
Another example of a Hall of Famer who ended their octagon career under a black cloud largely due to a refusal to know when his time had come to an end was Ken Shamrock.
A true pioneer of MMA, ‘The World’s Most Dangerous Man’ fought in the UFC’s inaugural show, had legendary rivalries with the likes of Royce Gracie and Dan Severn and became the promotion’s first-ever ‘Superfight’ champion.
However, after returning to the sport following a stint in WWE, Shamrock quickly found that things had largely moved on without him.
An unsuccessful run in PRIDE was followed by a return to the UFC to finally settle his longtime feud with then-light-heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz.
Shamrock was mercilessly beaten in the fight, but the event drew a huge number on pay-per-view and arguably saved the promotion’s fortunes.
The veteran was inducted into the Hall a year later, and had he hung up his gloves, it would’ve been the perfect way for him to end his career.
Unfortunately, Shamrock made two more ill-advised comebacks to the octagon, as well as with other promotions, and wound up losing a further nine bouts after the first Ortiz fight.
He also became embroiled in a legal battle with the UFC and lost, resulting in him owing the promotion a chunk of money.
In more recent years, the legend has been able to squash his beef with Dana White and company, but to say his career with the promotion ended under a black cloud would probably be an understatement.
#2. Randy Couture – former UFC light-heavyweight champion
There’s no doubt that Randy Couture is one of the most decorated fighters in UFC history. A three-time heavyweight champion and two-time light-heavyweight champion, ‘The Natural’ was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006 following his first retirement.
However, while nobody would argue Couture’s spot in the Hall, it’s also fair to say that he left the promotion under a black cloud on more than one occasion, with the latest instance coming in 2013. He remains on the outs with Dana White and company to this day.
Couture’s initial clash with the UFC came years before the promotion was purchased by White and the Fertitta brothers in 2001. He walked away and abandoned the heavyweight title due to a contract dispute in 1998, only to return and regain his crown in 2000.
Over the next six years, Couture became a genuine legend of MMA. After losing the heavyweight title in 2002, he dropped to 205 pounds for the first time in his career a year later and stunned everyone by claiming the light-heavyweight title twice.
After initially retiring in 2006 – being inducted into the Hall of Fame shortly after – ‘The Natural’ then left fans awestruck when he returned to reclaim the heavyweight title in 2007 at the age of 43.
Another contract dispute then followed, as did a lawsuit, but when Couture returned to the fold a year later, it felt like the whole mess had been put behind all parties.
That evidently wasn’t the case, though, as after his 2011 retirement, ‘The Natural’ turned down further opportunities with the promotion, jumping ship to rivals Bellator instead.
Since then, Couture and White have continued to snipe at one another every now and then – meaning that the black cloud hanging over the legend and his relationship with the promotion that inducted him into their Hall of Fame remains.
#1. BJ Penn – former UFC lightweight champion
Unlike Randy Couture, former lightweight and welterweight champion BJ Penn was able to settle an earlier rift with the UFC years before his career ended. And unlike Anderson Silva or Wanderlei Silva, he was never linked with PEDs.
However, it’s still fair to say that the Hawaiian’s career with the promotion still ended under a black cloud, largely because he simply stuck around for far too long.
‘The Prodigy’ was undoubtedly great, if somewhat of an inconsistent maverick during the first stage of his career. He often fought way out of his natural weight class (155 pounds) and could often disappoint with his performance for no apparent reason.
However, when Penn was on, he was basically unstoppable. The Hawaiian claimed the welterweight title from the legendary Matt Hughes in 2004 in a huge upset, and after an absence from the promotion, returned to dominate the lightweight division, winning the title there in 2008.
By 2012, though, it was clear that ‘The Prodigy’ was past his best, and after he suffered a bad loss to Rory MacDonald, it was no surprise when he chose to hang up his gloves.
In 2014, though, Penn announced a surprising comeback and returned at 145 pounds for the first time to fight old foe Frankie Edgar.
Hopes were high for this comeback, but when he lost to ‘The Answer’ in a one-sided fashion, that should’ve been that. The UFC clearly thought so and deservedly inducted Penn into the Hall of Fame a year later.
Unfortunately, though, the Hawaiian wouldn’t give up that quickly. 2017 saw him return again, and he kept fighting for another two years to even more diminishing returns, losing four fights in a row to take his overall record to 16-14.
In fact, Penn’s octagon career was only forcibly ended in 2019 when his contract was scrapped after he was involved in a bar fight that saw him knocked unconscious by a fellow drunk.
While ‘The Prodigy’ didn’t end his career on Dana White’s bad list per se, then the fact that it came to such a sad end meant that it’s hard not to see a black cloud hanging over it.
