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

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.