Future Hall Of Famers?

[scout200]

What current fighters are going to be future Hall of Famers?

IMO, I think that BJ Penn, GSP, Anderson Silva and Rampage will be..

Any others?

[donnydarkoIRL]

I agree with your suggestions and I would add...
Wanderlai Silva,
Mauricio Rua,
Antonio Rodrigo Nogeira,
Fedor Emelianenko,
Randy Coture,
Vitor Belfort.

[VictorCharlie]

Well to my knowledge only the UFC has a "Hall of Fame" so unless he comes over I don't see Fedor making it in.

[scout200]

I agree with your suggestions and I would add...
Wanderlai Silva,
Mauricio Rua,
Antonio Rodrigo Nogeira,
Fedor Emelianenko,
Randy Coture,
Vitor Belfort.

Nice!

[donnydarkoIRL]

Well to my knowledge only the UFC has a "Hall of Fame" so unless he comes over I don't see Fedor making it in.

I think you're correct, but it doesn't make him any less deserving.

Nice!

I'm probably missing out on heaps!

[mattboxingfan]

BJ Penn
GSP
Matt Hughes
Matt Serra
Big Nog
Frank Mir
Anderson Silva
Wanderlei Silva
Rich Franklin
Michael Bisping
Forrest Griffin
To name a few.

[VictorCharlie]

Bisping may very well never hold a title...Just don't see him being Hall of Fame material. Griffin may get in due to his significance to the UFC but I don't think of him as HOF talent either.

[mattboxingfan]

Bisping may very well never hold a title...Just don't see him being Hall of Fame material. Griffin may get in due to his significance to the UFC but I don't think of him as HOF talent either.

Bisping will be in for making MMA bigger than it was in the UK and mostly representing the UFC here. Griffin is easily in he held the title and was in maybe the best UFC fight ever in the original TUF final.

[VictorCharlie]

I guess we will just have to disagree. To me if you aren't considered one of the most talented in your division, had a lengthy title reign or hold an iconic position like Shamrock you aren't getting in. Both of them are doing well to just stay in the top 10, Bisping has never held a belt and never will as long as Anderson is around. Griffin's reign was over before it started an is unlikely to ever regain the belt. Bisping may hold an iconic status in the UK but not outside of it. Griffin does get a lot street cred for the Bonnar fight but I don't think it will be enough on its own. Guess we will just have to wait and see. Not sure if Matt Serra gets in either. Long history in the UFC but somewhat mixed results.

[Captain America]

Forrest has wins over Shogun and Rampage, his fight with Bonner (sloppy as it was) put the UFC back on track an in the mainstream, and he is very talented, just inconsistent.

Bisping may no be the most deserving, but he will be in. After all, they put Mask in.

Matt Serra fought a prime BJ to a draw, went 1-1 with GSP, and fought a close fight with Hughes, that many think he won. He deserves to be in.

[donnydarkoIRL]

Matt also won the TUF veterans series, think you are right there.

[VictorCharlie]

I guess we have a different idea of Hall of Fame. Kind of takes the shine off of it if you let every guy who had a "moment" in the sport. The UFC is a little over 20 years old. Only the absolute best should get this honor or you just water down the honor. If in 20 years guys like Bisping's, Griffin's and Serra's accomplishments are still looked upon as amongst the best (which they really aren't now) then let them in. Serra has a pinnacle win against GSP and then got crushed in a rematch which suggests his best win was a bit a fluke. After that for every decent win he has a loss to Karo, Shonie Carter and Din Thomas. The guy is a good fighter but not even one of the top 10 WW ever. Griffin probably has the best chance of these three. If he can put together another good run, regain the belt and get some signature wins he probably could get in. But as it sits today he is as you said inconsistent and just a good fighter in what is a great division. Now Bisping has had a couple of nice wins against Kang and Akiyama but the guy just hasn't shown he can compete at the top 5 level. Unless this guy has some massive step up in ability he will beat middle tier guys and get crushed when he steps up ala Henderson. That is not what a Hall of Fame career looks like. Particularly as MMA grows and gets bigger the talent pool will expand and I think the careers of these three gets overshadowed.

[Captain America]

There have been two fights that "saved" the UFC: Tito vs Ken I, and Bonner vs Griffen I. Those four fighters get special consideration for HoF. Ken's in, Tito has definitely had a HoF career, Bonner didn't, Forrest has beaten some of the best fighters in the world (Shogun and Rampage were ranked number one), Forrest could retire after the Franklin fight on a loss and still br HoF material.

I agree about Bisping, but the UFC will put him in, I guarantee it

Serra's had a great career, I wouldn't be upset if he gets in or not.

The UFC's HoF is a joke anyhow. Frank Shamrock ought to have been in immediately after Royce. Don Frye, Tito Ortiz, Pat Militich, Dan Henderson, and many, many more are well deserving, but will never make it in

[VictorCharlie]

I agree that Frank SHOULD be in but if he doesn't it will b/c he stepped away from the UFC in his prime and barely fought. The guy was a phenomenal talent but too many fans never really got to see that.

[donnydarkoIRL]

I guess we have a different idea of Hall of Fame. Kind of takes the shine off of it if you let every guy who had a "moment" in the sport. The UFC is a little over 20 years old. Only the absolute best should get this honor or you just water down the honor. If in 20 years guys like Bisping's, Griffin's and Serra's accomplishments are still looked upon as amongst the best (which they really aren't now) then let them in. Serra has a pinnacle win against GSP and then got crushed in a rematch which suggests his best win was a bit a fluke. After that for every decent win he has a loss to Karo, Shonie Carter and Din Thomas. The guy is a good fighter but not even one of the top 10 WW ever. Griffin probably has the best chance of these three. If he can put together another good run, regain the belt and get some signature wins he probably could get in. But as it sits today he is as you said inconsistent and just a good fighter in what is a great division. Now Bisping has had a couple of nice wins against Kang and Akiyama but the guy just hasn't shown he can compete at the top 5 level. Unless this guy has some massive step up in ability he will beat middle tier guys and get crushed when he steps up ala Henderson. That is not what a Hall of Fame career looks like. Particularly as MMA grows and gets bigger the talent pool will expand and I think the careers of these three gets overshadowed.

I don't think a fighter needs to be great to be Hall of Fame material.
For example in boxing you've got Gatti, Ward and Hatton who will all surely be HoFamers despite never being "A" level fighters.
The appeal of combat sports, the reason we watch is because of the emotion it inspires.
I think Serra v GSP 1 was one of the most shocking fights of the past decade.
For me it epitomised the underdog's dream. I mean GSP was and continues to be in a league of his own at 170.
I'm not going to comment on Griffin, Bisping et al, but I do believe Serra for his service to the UFC, his fine contribution to MMA Jiu Jitsu and that defining moment will be in there.