5 deserving fighters who still haven't been entered into the UFC Hall of Fame

The UFC's Hall of Fame is filled with some of the greatest fighters in MMA history. This year, former champions Amanda Nunes and Robbie Lawler will join its ranks.

Despite being in existence for more than two decades now, though, there are still a number of deserving fighters who haven't been entered into the UFC Hall of Fame.

While some obvious names, such as Frank Shamrock, are unlikely to be entered due to issues with the promotion, the following names have been more curiously overlooked. Hopefully, they'll be entered in the near future.

Here are five deserving fighters who still haven't been entered into the UFC's Hall of Fame.

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#5. Andrei Arlovski - former UFC heavyweight champion

Few fighters in UFC history can say they competed in the octagon in three different decades, but Andrei Arlovski is one of them. The former heavyweight champion debuted way back in 2000 during the so-called 'Dark Ages', and competed for the final time in June 2024 before departing the promotion.

Along the way, 'The Pitbull' won the heavyweight title by stopping Tim Sylvia in 2005 and defended it successfully twice. He also won 23 bouts in the octagon, a record for the UFC's heavyweight division, and entered the octagon on 42 occasions, with only Jim Miller managing more fights.

Arlovski did suffer two lengthy losing streaks - five in a row from 2015 to 2017 and four in a row before he departed in 2024. However, he also defeated some top-class foes, including Sylvia, Frank Mir, 'Bigfoot' Silva, and Travis Browne.

So why has the Belarusian not joined the Hall of Fame just yet? The answer is most likely that he's currently signed with the Global Fight League promotion, although the fact that their first two events have already been cancelled suggests that things might change soon.

Given his insane longevity, dramatic 2014 comeback after his initial 2008 departure, and general popularity, then, 'The Pitbull' should surely find his way into the Hall in the future.

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#4. Vitor Belfort - former UFC light-heavyweight champion

To say that it's surprising that Vitor Belfort has not yet been inducted into the UFC's Hall of Fame would be an understatement.

He might not have lived up to the initial hype that swirled around him when he debuted in the octagon way back in 1996, but the accomplishments of 'The Phenom' speak for themselves.

Across three separate runs with the promotion, Belfort was a perennial title contender. With his rapid hand speed, brutal punching power, and underrated ground game, the Brazilian was able to compete with the top fighters at both 185 pounds and 205 pounds.

Admittedly, the fact that his only title win, which came at 205 pounds in 2004, came via a technicality is a black mark of sorts against him. Belfort's opponent, Randy Couture, suffered a freak cut that caused the fight to be stopped in a matter of seconds, and then easily dealt with 'The Phenom' to regain his crown in a rematch.

However, Belfort did win the UFC 12 heavyweight tournament at the age of just 19, and also holds the record for the most first-round finishes in the promotion's history with 13.

To add to this, his knockouts of opponents like Wanderlei Silva, Luke Rockhold, Michael Bisping, and Yoshihiro Akiyama are truly legendary.

Belfort's later career was mired in controversy of sorts, as his use of TRT (testosterone replacement therapy) was no secret, and when its use was banned, he was never the same fighter.

Despite this, everything he achieved in his legendary career should make him a must for the Hall of Fame in the future.

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#3. Mirko Cro Cop - former PRIDE openweight grand prix champion

When lists of the biggest flops in UFC history are put together, the name of Mirko Cro Cop always tends to be somewhere near the top.

The legendary Croatian kickboxer competed in the octagon for two stints, winning just four fights and losing six. Naturally, this record wouldn't put him near the Hall of Fame.

However, the Hall does not just take accomplishments in the UFC into account. If it did, the likes of Kazushi Sakuraba and Wanderlei Silva would never have made it.

Instead, the Hall also considers accomplishments in PRIDE, WEC, and StrikeForce, and in the first of those promotions, Cro Cop was an absolute beast.

Two decades ago, there was no heavyweight on the planet more feared than the Croatian. His left head kick was the closest thing MMA had to a "finishing move" at that point, as he used it to dispatch multiple victims. Of course, his kicks to the body and left uppercuts were also just as devastating.

In the PRIDE ring, Cro Cop destroyed the likes of Silva, Mark Coleman, Heath Herring, Josh Barnett, Kevin Randleman, and Igor Vovchanchyn, all legends in their own right.

When the UFC was able to sign him in 2006, right after he won the PRIDE openweight grand prix, it was a real sign of the promotion's intent and pointed the direction that MMA was heading in the next decade.

Nobody would ever be able to argue that Cro Cop was a success in the octagon, but for his insane accomplishments and star power in PRIDE, he belongs in the Hall of Fame.

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#2. Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson - former UFC light-heavyweight champion

Just over fifteen years ago, after the fall of Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture and before the real rise of Georges St-Pierre and Brock Lesnar, the UFC's biggest star was Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson.

The loud, charismatic striker downed Liddell in mid-2007 to claim the light-heavyweight title, and quickly settled into a spot as the promotion's new poster boy.

Jackson arrived as a big-money acquisition at the start of that year following a rise to fame in PRIDE. His persona always suited the US audience more than the Japanese one, though, and 'Rampage' at the top of the UFC just felt right.

Unfortunately, his run as champion didn't last too long. He lost his crown to Forrest Griffin in 2008, and personal problems largely plagued the rest of his time in the octagon.

Even then, he was able to beat top fighters like Lyoto Machida, Wanderlei Silva, and Keith Jardine, headlined numerous big events, and coached TUF alongside his bitter rival Rashad Evans in 2009.

Why hasn't 'Rampage' been entered into the Hall of Fame, then? Arguably because, in 2021, he suggested he'd turn down the opportunity and hit out at Dana White.

However, time heals most wounds, and after all, if Tito Ortiz and Don Frye - who were equally outspoken against White - can make it into the Hall, so can Jackson. Hopefully, cooler heads can prevail in the future when it comes to this.

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#1. Frank Mir - former UFC heavyweight champion

All of the fighters on this list belong in the UFC's Hall of Fame, but it's arguable that the fighter who has been most unfairly overlooked is former heavyweight champion Frank Mir.

Not only is Mir one of the greatest and most accomplished heavyweights in UFC history, but he's also never really done anything to find himself on the outs with Dana White and company.

Debuting in the octagon back in 2001 as a young, talented submission expert, Mir rose into contention by defeating the likes of Pete Williams and Tank Abbott.

He won the heavyweight title in 2004 by snapping Tim Sylvia's arm, but fate then intervened in the form of a devastating motorcycle accident. Not only did Mir have to give up his title, but his career seemed all but over.

However, he fought back to health, and somehow managed to be even more successful in the second half of his career. He claimed the interim heavyweight title in 2008 by knocking out the legendary Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and also beat the likes of Brock Lesnar, Mirko Cro Cop, Cheick Kongo, Roy Nelson and 'Bigfoot' Silva.

2016 saw his octagon career end after a string of losses - as well as a semi-controversial positive drug test - and a brief run in Bellator didn't bring any success, even if he put on a classic fight with Fedor Emelianenko.

However, for everything he accomplished, there's no reason why Mir shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame.

Right now, like Andrei Arlovski, the former champ is linked with the GFL promotion. Assuming that changes soon, though, hopefully White and company see the light and induct him into the Hall soon.