One of the most intense and violent fighters in MMA history, Wanderlei Silva, will be enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame this summer.
Silva (35-14-1), a former PRIDE FC champion and 12-fight UFC veteran, was announced for the pioneer wing of the 2024 UFC Hall of Fame class, the promotion announced Saturday during the UFC 298 broadcast.
“Wanderlei Silva is one of the true pioneers of the sport of MMA,” UFC CEO Dana White said in a press release. “Wanderlei was an absolute savage who left his mark by delivering some of the most memorable fights in combat sports history. He had legendary fights against Mirko Cro Crop, Chuck Liddell, Dan Henderson, Brian Stann, and his fights against Rich Franklin, as they were absolute wars! He was also one of the early superstars of PRIDE who helped grow the MMA fanbase on a global scale, and it will be an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer.”
The Brazilian made his UFC debut back at UFC 17.5 in October 1998, suffering a loss to Vitor Belfort. He would make another pair of appearances inside the octagon in 1999 and 2000, before he moved to PRIDE FC where he became an MMA superstar.
Under the PRIDE FC banner, “The Axe Murderer” racked up a plethora of highlight-reel knockouts, including memorable finishes against the likes of Quinton Jackson, Kazushi Sakuraba, Ricardo Arona and more.
Following the UFC’s purchase of PRIDE FC in 2007, Silva returned to the company and fought the likes of Michael Bisping, Cung Le, Rich Franklin and Brian Stann
Silva, 47 is the second fighter to be announced for the 2024 UFC Hall of Fame class, alongside former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar.
He also joins the Hall of Fame pioneer wing which currently includes Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, Randy Couture, Mark Coleman, Chuck Liddell, Matt Hughes, Tito Ortiz, Pat Miletich, Bas Rutten, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Don Frye, Maurice Smith, Kazushi Sakuraba, Matt Serra, Rich Franklin, Kevin Randleman, Jens Pulver and Anderson Silva.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.