5 UFC fighters from the previous generation all new fans should know

#4 Former UFC superfight champion Ken Shamrock

Ken Shamrock [L] competing at UFC 1: The Beginning

One of the biggest names in the early stages of the UFC, Ken Shamrock competed professionally well after the age of 50 to slightly diminish his legacy. However, over the course of a storied MMA career, 'The World's Most Dangerous Man' became the first UFC Superfight Champion, the first King of Pancrase, a WMMAA Champion and a PRIDE Grand Prix 2000 Finals Winner.

Shamrock's rivalries with Royce Gracie, Tito Ortiz and Dan Severn were immense for the UFC in its early days. Under the Pancrase banner, the California native competed against names like Bas Rutten, Masakatsu Funaki and Kimo Leopoldo.

One of the first American torchbearers in the UFC, Shamrock used his exceptional grappling skills to secure 22 submission wins in his MMA career and was one of the best fighters in the world during his prime. He was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in November 2003.

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#3 Former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes

📆 #OnThisDay in 2005... Matt Hughes gave us one of the craziest comebacks you'll ever see! 😱📺 Watch more on @UFCFightPass pic.twitter.com/78VyFSCEFj

— UFC (@ufc) April 16, 2020

Widely regarded as a top-two UFC welterweight of all time, Matt Hughes was the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world during his first reign as a UFC champion. An accomplished wrestler who was the only person to submit Georges St-Pierre, he brutalized his opponents with ground-and-pound and ushered in an era of wrestling-dominant fighters in the UFC.

Hughes was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame's Pioneer Wing in 2010, and his rematch against Frank Trigg holds a place in the Fight Wing. He defended his welterweight title a total of seven times and holds the record for the most finishes in the UFC welterweight division (11).

Known for his patented slam, Hughes amassed 18 wins in the UFC, putting together an incredible streak in the early part of the 21st century. His fights with St-Pierre, BJ Penn, Carlos Newton and Royce Gracie are etched in MMA history.