5 UFC legends that deserve a place in the Hall of Fame

The UFC's Hall of Fame is full of great fighters who had a huge impact on the sport in some way or other. Chuck Liddell, Pat Miletich, Don Frye, and Randy Couture are among the many pioneers featured in this prestigious position.

However, there are a number of fighters who had a huge effect on the sport during its early days that have been omitted. In the following list, we will break down five fighters who have an argument to be made for their place in the Hall of Fame. Honorable mentions go to Murilo Bustamante, Caol Uno and Tim Sylvia.

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#5. Oleg 'The Russian Bear' Taktarov - UFC heavyweight

A true old-school fan-favorite, Oleg Taktarov was one of the first ever sambo practitioners in the UFC. He may not have been the most flashy fighter but Taktarov's pure resilience and determination resulted in numerous classic bouts.

Of particular note is Taktarov's fight with UFC bad boy Tank Abbot, the notorious street fighter who had relative success in the promotion. Taktarov outlasted a huge barrage of strikes from Abbot, to the point where the American wore himself out.

Taktarov, despite being bloody and beaten, was able to transition to Abbot's back before locking in a rear naked choke.

Check out the full fight below:

Over the course of his UFC career, Taktarov also picked up victories over the likes of Marco Ruas and Dave Beneteau. He even fought Ken Shamrock to a draw. Taktarov retired from MMA in 2008 with a record of 17-5.

4. Sean 'The Muscle Shark' Sherk - UFC lightweight

Sean Sherk made his MMA debut in 1999, but would not compete in the UFC until 2001. He signed for the promotion off the back of a 10-fight winning striking on the regional circuits including two victories over Karo Parisyan.

UFC 90 Silva v Cote - Sean Sherk

He was victorious in his promotional debut, defeating Tiki Ghosn in round two. Sherk then returned to the regional scene, where he amassed several more victories.

In 2002, Sherk rejoined the UFC, picking up two more wins. Sherk's MMA career continued in this fashion for some time as he bounced between promotions.

In 2005, Sherk committed to the UFC, and never fought for another promotion again. He captured the lightweight title, defeating Kenny Florian via decision, and then defended it against Hermes Franca.

Shrek ultimately lost his title and retired in 2010. He sits on a 36-4-1 record, having lost to four of the best fighters of his time: Georges St-Pierre, Matt Hughes, B.J. Penn, and Frankie Edgar.

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#3. Evan Tanner - UFC middleweight

A true veteran of the sport, Evan Tanner made his MMA debut in 1997. Tanner initially taught himself MMA, watching old VHS tapes and training in his garage. He was evidently a good self-teacher as he amassed a 17-1 record on the regional scene, as well as Pancrase, before getting a shot in the UFC.

Similar to Sherk, Tanner balanced his UFC career alongside a regional run. He made his UFC debut in 1999, at UFC 18. He put together three consecutive wins and then fought for the UFC middleweight title against Tito Ortiz.

Whilst he came up short against Ortiz, Tanner was not perturbed. He scored a number of impressive wins for the UFC, picking up victories over the likes of Robbie Lawler, Elvis Sinosic and Phil Baroni.

Ultimate Fighting - Evan Tanner

These wins saw Evan Tanner granted the opportunity to fight for the vacant middleweight title at UFC 51. He finished David Terrell inside the first round and finally had gold wrapped around his waist.

Tanner lost his title to Rich Franklin, but competed another five times. He tragically passed away whilst on a solo camping trip in the California desert at the age of 37.

#2. Jens 'Little Evil' Pulver - UFC

An integral pioneer in the UFC's development of the smaller weight classes, Jens Pulver is more than deserving of a place in the Hall of Fame. In his initial run with the promotion, Pulver put together a six-fight unbeaten run, capturing the first-ever UFC lightweight title.

He defeated the likes of BJ Penn and Caol Uno, as well as picking up an iconic 15 second KO over John Lewis. Pulver and the UFC later parted ways after failing to come to terms with contract negotiations.

'Little Evil' returned to the UFC years later, but was unable to recreate the form he once had. While he doesn't have the best record, his work during the inception of the lightweight division had a huge impact on what is now arguably the most talent-stacked weight class in the promotion.

One Fighting Championship - Jens Pulver

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#1. Frank 'The Legend' Shamrock - UFC middleweight

The biggest omission to the UFC's Hall of Fame by far is Frank Shamrock. The UFC's first ever middleweight champion, later changed to light heavyweight champion, holds a perfect 5-0 record inside the UFC.

He made his debut in an immediate title fight, having already made his name outside the promotion. Shamrock faced off against highly touted prospect Kevin Jackson, whom Shamrock promptly submitted in 16 seconds.

Frank Shamrock's second UFC fight would last only six seconds longer, as he KO'd Igor Zinoviev with a brutal slam in his first title defense. Shamrock's next two fights also didn't make it out of the first round, as he caught Jeremy Horn with a kneebar and knocked out John Lober.

In Frank Shamrock's final fight with the UFC, he took on Tito Ortiz, who had been rapidly rising through the the promotion's ranks. The two men put on one of the best fights of their generation. It was Shamrock who claimed victory once again, finishing Ortiz with strikes in the fourth round.

Shamrock then relinquished his title. It is not completely clear why he did this. There is, however, some bad blood between 'The Legend' and Dana White that has seemingly resulted in Shamrock not being placed in the Hall of Fame, alongside his brother and Tito Ortiz.