Top 10 Choices for the 2020 UFC Hall of Fame

The UFC has already started planning its famous Hall of Fame ceremony, which is set to take place during International Fight Week as always this June. However, due to the worldwide pandemic, these plans may be pushed back or changed. Despite that, Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson has already been announced for the 2020 Hall of Fame ceremony, and here are some other options to fill out the rest of the class.

1. Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar was one of the most polarizing figures of the sport, constantly showing disrespect to his opponents and being popped for steroids multiple times, with the latest instance forcing him to retire. Despite his controversies, Lesnar still managed to accomplish several amazing feats in the Octagon, while also becoming one of the highest-selling MMA fighters of all time. He knocked out Randy Couture for the Heavyweight title, defended it with finishes over Frank Mir and Shane Carwin, and did all of this with only six fights to his name, making him a remarkable athlete worthy of being a Hall of Famer.

2. Cain Velasquez

The man who took the title away from Brock Lesnar, Cain Velasquez has been seen as one of the greatest heavyweights of all time since he captured the belt. This can be backed by his resume, possessing two wins over former UFC Heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos, a highlight reel knockout of current UFC Hall of Famer Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and several wins over quality talent such as Antonio Silva, Ben Rothwell, and Travis Browne. Velasquez’s talent and dominance as a champion are bound to land him in the Hall of Fame sooner or later, and this may be his year.

3. Johny Hendricks

Johny Hendricks’ career was tainted by his decline, missing weight three times before a knockout loss in his retirement fight, but this is not the Johny Hendricks that is going into the Hall of Fame. The Hendricks worthy of the Hall of Fame is the one who defeated Amir Sadollah in 29 seconds, knocked out Jon Fitch in 12 seconds, gave Georges St-Pierre the hardest fight of his career, and had wars with Robbie Lawler for the Welterweight belt. That is the Johny Hendricks that anyone would agree was one of the best in the world, and those are the achievements that should be remembered by the former champion.

4. Sean Sherk

Sean Sherk has one of the greatest records in MMA history, having not only lost to champions, but to some the greatest champions ever. UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes, Former Welterweight and Middleweight champion Georges St-Pierre, UFC Hall of Famer BJ Penn, and former Lightweight champion Frankie Edgar are the only men who can boast wins over Sherk. On the other hand, Sherk can boast wins over Nick Diaz, Kenny Florian, Hermes Franca, and finished out his career with an astounding record of 36-4-1. The only stain on Sherk’s record is being stripped of the Lightweight title due to steroid use, but his accomplishments in the cage do not lie, and he should be remembered as one of the greatest fighters to ever live.

5. Mirko Cro Cop

Mirko Cro Cop may not have seen gold in the UFC, but he did in Pride, winning the 2006 Open-Weight Grand Prix. En Route to this victory, Cro Cop amassed a huge list of former champions on his resume before he even got to the UFC, including Kazushi Sakuraba, Ron Waterman, Josh Barnett (three times), Kevin Randleman, Mark Coleman, and Wanderlei Silva. Looking at his record and Pride career, there is no way that he can be denied an entry into the Hall of Fame

6. Brian Stann

While Brian Stann is a good enough fighter to be inducted in the Modern Era Wing, he is perhaps best suited to go into the contributor wing. Stann was one of the first fighters to become a legitimate commentator and provide insight into fights from the standpoint of a former champion. Kenny Florian could also be given this distinction and prestige, but Stann has already retired from commentating, and his contributions to the sport from behind the microphone should be acknowledged for years to come.

7. Chris Leben

Chris Leben is truly a pioneer of the sport, winning the inaugural WEC Middleweight title, while also bringing his never say die fighting style and a bad attitude into the Ultimate Fighter house in order to help save the UFC. An argument could be made to say that if it wasn’t for Leben’s popularity on the show and in the ring, the season would not have been as successful as it was. Aside from his style, Leben’s fights in the Octagon were always a must-watch, winning six bonus awards and having the most fights in UFC Middleweight history. Whether it is like him as a fighter or his war with Yoshihiro Akiyama, Leben should have a seat saved for the 2020 Hall of Fame class.

8. Nick Diaz

The list of records Nick Diaz possesses is truly insane, being the first and only fighter to compete in all four ZUFFA owned promotions: the UFC, Pride, Strikeforce, and the WEC, winning world titles in the latter two. He has beaten Robbie Lawler, Frank Shamrock, Scott Smith, BJ Penn, and has fought for the UFC belt twice against Carlos Condit and Georges St-Pierre. While many fans are holding out hope that he will come out of retirement, he deserves to do so as a Hall of Famer, being one of the most accomplished and toughest fighters in the modern era.

9. Nate Marquardt

Many casual fans may not realize how much of a pioneer Nate Marquardt was, but he started his professional career in 1999 and managed to reach the highest highs and lowest lows of the sport throughout his eighteen-year career. Marquardt captured the Strikeforce Welterweight title with his knockout win over Tyron Woodley and was largely seen as the best fighter outside of the UFC at the time. This on top of his wars with legends such as Chael Sonnen, Anderson Silva, Vitor Belfort, and many more shows just how blood and guts of a fighter he was, which should be enough to be honored in the Modern Era Wing.

10. John McCarthy

When Big John McCarthy retired as a referee, it was a truly sad day for mixed martial arts. John McCarthy practically created the rules and guidelines for the entire sport, being the first notable referee to ever work with the UFC. He has refereed the most notable fights in fighters in MMA history, he created the rules for the sport almost entirely by himself, and if that is not enough to put someone in the Hall of Fame, then nothing is.

Who do you think should be in the UFC 2020 Hall of Fame? Let us know in the comments!